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LIBRARY
I UNIVERSITY OF
I CALIFORNIA
I SAN DIEGO
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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2007 with funding from
IVIicrosoft Corporation
http://www.archive.org/details/catalogueofpaintOOvereiala
CATALOGUE
OF
PAINTINGS
Vassili Verestchagin
INCLUDING
THE CAMPAIGN OF NAPOLEON I.
IN RUSSIA
AND
THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL
ON EXHIBITION IN THE
ASTOR GALLERY
OF THE
Waldorf-Astoria
From Friday, Nov. 14th, to Wednesday, Nov. 26th.
The Alexander Press,
14-16 astor place,
New York.
NOTICE OF SALE
The
Verestchagin Collection
WILL BE DISPOSED OF
AT
UNRESERVED AUCTION
ON THE EVENING OF
Wednesday, November 26th,
IN THE
GALLERY of the WALDORF-ASTORIA
JOHN FEI.I, O'BRIEN, Auctioneer.
CONDITIONS.
1. The highest bidder to be the buyer, and if any dis-
pute arise between two or more bidders, the lot so in
dispute shall be immediately put up again and resold.
2. The purchasers to give their names and addresses
and to pay down a cash deposit, or the whole of the
purchase money, if required, in default of which the lot
or lots so purchased to be immediately put up again and
resold.
3. The lots to be taken away at the buyer's expense
and risk upon the conclusion of the sale and the remain-
der of the purchase money to be absolutely paid or
otherwise settled for to the satisfaction of the auctioneer,
on or before delivery; in default of which the under-
signed will not hold himself responsible if the lots be
lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, but they will be left
at the sole risk of the purchaser.
4. The sale of any article is not to be set aside on ac-
count of any error in the description. All articles are
exposed for public exhibition one or more days and are
sold just as they are, without recourse.
5. To prevent inaccuracy in delivery, and inconven-
ience in settlement of the purchases, no lot can on any
account be removed during the sale.
6. If, for any cause, an article purchased cannot be
delivered in as good condition as the same may have
been at the time of its sale, or should any article pur-
chased thereafter be stolen or misdelivered, or lost, the
undersigned is not to be held liable in any greater
amount than the price bid by the purchaser.
7. Upon failure to comply with the above conditions,
the money deposited in part payment shall be forfeited,
all lots uncleared within the time aforesaid shall be re-
sold by public or private sale, without further notice,
and the deficiency, if any, attending such re-sale shall
be made good by the defaulter at this sale, together
with all charges attending the same. This condition is
without prejudice to the right of the auctioneer to en-
force the contract made at this sale, without such re-
sale if he thinks fit.
JOHN FELL O'BRIEN. Auctioneer.
THE FOLLOWING FIRMS WILL ACCEPT ORDERS
TO PURCHASE AT THIS SALE.
M. KNOEDLER, & CO., - - - 355 Fifth Avbnxje
W. SCHAUS, 204 Fifth Avenue
DURAND-RUEL, 389 Fifth Avenue
ARTHUR TOOTH & SONS, - - - 299 Fifth Avenue
JULIUS OEHME, - - - - 384 Fifth Avenue
FISHEL, ADLER & SCHWARTZ, 35th and Fifth Avenue
WM. CLAUSSEN, - - - - 381 Fifth Avenue
PRINZ BROS., 541 Fifth Avenue
C. W. KRAUSHARR, - - - - 260 Fifth Avenue
APPRECIATION
Vassili Verestchagin is, like all the great masters
of the art of painting, a man of ideals. He has been a
deep observer of the world as it is; traveling over the
globe, sketchbook in hand, noting on the spot what he
saw and after choosing the most dramatic view-point
so putting it on canvass as to make it live for all time.
He has not been a very prolific painter and although
the majority of his large pictures were painted with the
idea of portraying war, in all its gruesomness, it must
not be understood that all his work is in that line. His
delineations of national types are startingly true, and his
landscapes have been acclaimed by the most advanced
impressionists as illustrating the best achievements of that
school.
A recent appreciation of him by M. Jules Claretie,
Member of the French Academy, and Director of
the Comedie Frangaise, a recognized critic of author-
ity, and lends interest to the invitation to American
criticiscm made in this exhibition of the Russian artist's
latest works.
Comedie Frangaise
Administrator General.
ViROFLAY (Seine & Oise),
Aug. 9, 1902.
John Fell O'Brien, Esq.
Dear Sir: —
I am very happy to learn that my friend, Mr. Verest-
chagin, is going to exhibit his pictures at the Waldorf-
Astoria in New York. It will be there, as it was in
Paris and elsewhere, an important artistic event. Mr.
Verestchagin is, in his rendering, a painter who resembles
no other. He is an artist who not only makes you see,
but think. Had I had the honor of being one of the
jury of the Nobel Award, I would not have hesitated,
in the name of humanity, to crown him, as M. Duinent,
the initiator of the Conference of Geneva, was crowned,
as was also M. Sully-Prudhomme, my collegiate of the
Academy.
APPRECIATION
The war pictures of Verestchagin have a thrilling ef-
fect on one. After painting War with all its splendor,
he denounces it with his brush as a philosopher, or,
rather, he does not denounce it, he shows it such as it
is, and that glory is also another name for Butchery.
My opinion of Verestchagin's art is in accord with that
of Alexandre Dumas Fils,and Meissonier ; (while we were
standing before a splendid canvas by Verestchagin, rep-
resenting the Kremlin), and Meissonier was dwelling
upon the precision and truthfulness of the Russian painter,
and praising his views of India, his battle fields and his
treatment of snow, and also his treatment of sunshine,
then Alexandre Dumas Fils quoted Victor Hugo, as
having written that " Charles Beaudelaire has brought
to French poetry a new emotion," and it might be said
of Verestchagin, that he has done the same for the art
of painting.
I remember my impression when I first saw, in Lx)n-
don, Verestchagin's paintings of the Turkestan War,
nothing could have struck me more forcibly — it was
picturesque and poignant. M. Dumas Fils, had he told
me the same sensations while gazing on the scenes of
the Russian War, which were, in his opinion, works of
art, of tragic truth, which could only be compared to
certain pages of Tolstoi.
My friend, M. Gerome, the eminent painter, who is
the most sincere of men, and hard to suit, can tell you
that he has for Verestchagin the same admiration which
Dumas Fils and Meissonier had for him; in fact, one
can have no other opinion, this talent, both vigorous and
determined, imposes itself on every one, as the inde-
pendent character of the artist forces sympathy on those
who have the pleasure of knowing him. Certainly, to
know Verestchagin personally in the intimacy of his life,
is to love him, and those who can thoroughly appreciate
his work must admire his ideals .
Yours sincerely,
Jules Claretie.
8
APPRECIATION
HIS TRUE BIOGRAPHY
His work is his biography. He has Hved every one
of his pictures, and he has often had to study at almost
the cost of his life. All that he represents he has seen;
all that he relates with his pencil he has lived. These
pictures are just so many chapters detached from his
history. They are the work of an artist of an excep-
tional nature. But a few newspaper articles are not suf-
ficient for the study of such a collection. It is worthy
of a book written on the critical method of Sainte-Beuve,
a book wherein the man would occupy a place at least
as considerable as the work itself; for the one and the
other are inseparable. — Emile Cardon. — Soleil, Paris.
DEDICATED TO THE CONQUERORS
He is the first Russian painter who has given his
countrymen a true impression of war — something besides
those official pictures where victory is displayed and
never defeat. Even when he paints victory he never
separates it from its sadness, its ruin, its misery, its
mourning beyond relief. I seem to have always before
my eyes, as in a dream, that pyramid of piled-up skulls
which he met with somewhere in his wanderings, and of
which he has made one of his most striking pictures.
He wrote underneath it, " Dedicated to the Conquerors."
— Gaulois, Paris.
ESSENTIALLY HUMAN
When they gave Verestchagin the surname of the
Horace Vernet of Russia, no doubt they thought that
they were saying something in his praise; but he cer-
tainly had a right to feel calumniated, for the general
impression left by his work is not admiration for princes
nor glorification of war. In telling the truth feelingly
about the sufferings of the soldier, without distinction
of nationality, with as much pity for the vanquished as
for the victors, Verestchagin has shown himself essen-
9
APPRECIATION
tially human. His pictures, with their poignant reality
and elevated philosophy, are at the same time a terrible
satire on ambitious despots. Verestchagin is a courtier
of nothing but misfortune. A pupil of Gerome, he
seems to have traveled very much in search of himself.
Sometimes he has draw^n near to Meissonier, then there
is something in him of Gericault and of Courbet, and
again he is a true Impressionist in the best acceptation
of the term. — L'Art, Paris.
To look at his studies you would think you were be-
fore some Asiatic Van der Heyden. But your emotion
itself is forgotten under the implacable and learned ex-
actitude of the rendering. At another time it is a sketch,
a mere rough note of an idea which is the all-in-all, and
then we are far enough from that Dutchman, but nearer
Rembrandt, and sometimes we are in the very midst of
the Impressionist school. — Constitutional, Paris.
ESSENTIALLY MODERN
We poor moderns, with our unmodern art, have some-
times moments of artistic anguish in which we feel sen-
sible of all our faults and short-comings. The century
has for eighty years of its course been looking for rest
without finding it, but at length its efforts to put its
artistic house in order seems likely to have some result.
The realism of life streams with a full tide in every vein
of our being, and the very beating of our pulses seems
to speak a language not to be misunderstood. No man
has ever painted like Verestchagin. He is essentially
new — modern, in the profoundest sense of the word.
He is of our century, however Russian in manner and
subject. No earlier period could have produced him.
The cut-and-dried artistic rules and receipts are worth
nothing in his case. The painter emancipates himself
from them, and his right to do so is proved by the fact
that the spectator forgets them too the moment he sees
the pictures. " There is always something new from
10
APPRECIATION
Africa," was a saying of the Romans ; we might para-
phrase it in regard to Russia, and ask ourselves what
surprises of culture may not yet be in store for us in
Siberia. Verestchagin has gone to school in the very
home of color. He has learned to see it on the Ganges,
the Nile, and in the Steppes of Turkestan. His tech-
nical skill is astonishing, and it is shown especially in
his handling of snow. The fight against winter is a
theme which supplies him with a thousand motives for
pictures. The sunlight out of doors and the chiaroscuro
of indoor effects are equally familiar to him. Very
striking too is his representation of great stretches of
flat country which he knows how to vary by the finest
modulations in tone. — Fremdenblatt, Vienna.
11
INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ON THE CAMPAIGN
OF NAPOLEON I. IN RUSSIA
The study of the Hfe and deeds of a mighty power of
his time, Hke Napoleon the First, is of great interest —
I mean a comprehensive study, excluding all inclination
toward the legendary. The legends that are always con-
fused with the acts of a great man, and above all, a
warrior, are so closely linked with his memory that it is
difficult to discern in the course of events the truth and
fiction. The more brilliant his career and the more ex-
traordinary his actions, the more the legend resembles
the truth.
The twenty years of Napoleon's career present a series
of events beyond conception, and give often to ordinary
actions the appearance of providential happenings.
It is true that in 1812 the emperor began a struggle
at the same time with men, climate, and indeed the
world, and necessarily succumbed to the work. But his
image is none the "less dramatic, and it is certain that
I do not wish to lower Napoleon or his genius in paint-
ing the great captain in several difficult positions of
his life at the culminating point in a career unique in
history.
In addition to the explanations that I shall give of
my pictures, I have gathered together in another volume
some notes to which I wish to call attention. I have
grouped together many characteristic extracts taken from
contemporary memoirs or from testimony of witnesses
about the sojourn of Napoleon in Russia in 18 12, and
have retained as much as possible of the simplicity and
originality of these accounts.
It is possible in reading these pages one should say,
" but the . French did nothing but massacre, shoot and
pillage." This is because they went there for that pur-
18
INTRODUCTION
pose, but there is one reservation to make; under the
title of " the French in 1812," is understood in Russia
the mass of soldiers that came from the four corners of
Europe to form the Grande Armee. As to the French
(properly so-called), I can say that the Russian literature
agrees in showing them, although shooting without mercy,
somewhat more generous than their allies, especially the
Suabians, Wurtemburgers and Bavarians, of whom the
record is inexplicable. The Poles also were very cruel,
but they were settling an old score with the Russians.
Napoleon undoubtedly dominated the history of the
century, and the war of 181 2 remains the event the most
dramatic of this history. The immensity of the project,
the rapidity of the course of events and the importance
of the consequences irresistibly attract the attention of
the artist, the politician, the philosopher, and the soldier.
Among the events destined to throw light on the reasons
of the enterprises directed by Napoleon against Russia,
I should designate, first: the petition sent in the year
1789 by Bonaparte, when First Lieutenant, to the Rus-
sian General Zaborovsky, begging to be taken into the
service of the Czarina, Catherine the Second. The peti-
tion was refused, as the petitioner wished to be admitted
with the rank of Major. It is interesting to learn that
Zaborovsky never forgave himself for this refusal. In
the year 1812 the old General, who had left the service
and lived in retirement in Moscow, could not forget that
he had rejected Bonaparte, and in so doing had in-
directly been the cause of the misfortunes and devasta-
tions which had overwhelmed Russia. When the em-
peror, Alexander First, arrived in Moscow for his cor-
onation, he questioned the General repeatedly as to this
event. Count Rostopschin avers that he had in his hand
the letter containing Bonaparte's request. The second
fact of importance was the proposed marriage of Napo-
leon to one of the sisters of Emperor Alexander, a scheme
which was frustrated by the intense dislike of the mother
of the young princess to the imperial suitor. It would
14
INTRODUCTION
indeed be unjust to ascribe the wounded vanity of the
lieutenant and of the emperor as the sole cause of the
constant hatred of Napoleon toward Russia ; on the other
hand, when we consider both his character and his temp-
erament, these facts must not be overlooked.
In the campaign of 1812 Napoleon proved himself so
full of ideas and contradictory resolutions, drew up so
many impracticable plans, and conceived so many fool-
hardy combinations, that it is impossible to explain all
this on the theory of his desire to avenge himself for
the pretended offense inflicted on France and all the
civilized nations by the Russian people, or to justify his
persistent animosity unless one takes into account that
his vanity was mortally wounded.
In spite of all his genius the emperor was not infal-
lible. After his second marriage and during the empire,
Napoleon appears to have lost all perspicacity. Impa-
tience carries him away and his usual method of strik-
ing in rapid successive blows carries him of necessity to
destruction.
Leaving aside the first and remote attempt to enter
into good relations with Russia (by admission into the
Russian service), and considering on the other hand the
second rebuff as the immediate cause of the denouement,
I wish to remark that neither the Russian society nor
Emperor Alexander himself had intended to hold France
at a distance or had fostered against its chief any un-
bridled hate.
It was first the Princess Catherine, after Tilsit, that
Napoleon thought to make an Empress, but as soon as
his intentions became apparent and before any official
measures could be taken, a marriage was hurriedly ar-
ranged between the young princess and the Duke of
Oldenbourg.
The Emperor, however, did not allow himself to be
discouraged, and secretly, but with due observance to all
etiquette, requested the hand of the Princess Anna. The
Czar would have accepted the conqueror as the husband
15
INTRODUCTION
of his sister, but the dowager Empress would not even
listen to such an alliance. After successive delays to his
demands Napoleon recognized that it was intentional,
and without waiting for the official refusal, dated the
4th of February, he held a family council on the 6th of
February, at the end of which he married the Arch-
duchess of Austria. On her side the dowager Empress
Marie, not contented with the rebuff given Napoleon
before all Europe, added to the insult by bestowing the
hand of her daughter on a petty German prince. The
offense of the intention was but too evident. Napoleon,
beside himself with anger, drove the Duke of Olden-
bourg out of his own domains, and after threatening the
whole of Alexander's German relations with the same
fate, began elaborate preparations for war.
I do not wish to go into an explanation of the reasons
given, and eloquent and pathetic phrases which Napoleon
pronounced to justify a war which he wished to under-
take, and which he declared to be that of the civilized
world against the savage. Europe fully recognized the
power of France and the greatness of its ruler, and con-
scious of its own ability to oppose his decisions was only
ready to accept every revelation of this incorporate Prov-
idence.
It is possible that Napoleon wished at first to inspire
his adversary with fear by the magnitude of his prepar-
ations for war, and to compel him publicly to hujniliate
himself before the whole of Europe, but when Alexander
in full view of this same Europe began to organize for
resistance, the emperor of the French had to " drink up
the uncorked wine."
Here begins one of the most instructive and tragic
pages in modern history. Recognized by the entire
world as a superior intellect, a great military genius,
Napoleon could not stop on the verge, and in spite of
his own wishes, expressed many times, to stop in time,
and not, like Charles the XII,. to penetrate into the
heart of Russia, in spite of his comprehensive vision, he
16
INTRODUCTION
let himself be dragged into the heart of the immense
country where the Grande Armee was soon to become
engulfed in the snow. Fatigued by difficult marches
sometimes under a burning sun and sometimes under
excessive cold, the military spirit was lost, and the huge
territory traversed but not conquered. Misled by the
tactics of the enemy, who surpassed him in endurance
and tenacity, the Emperor marches onward, strewing his
path with corpses. He hardly arrived at Vitebsk before
he declared the campaign at an end. " Here I shall
halt," he said, " look about me, collect my forces, let my
army rest, and find a new Poland. Two mighty rivers
mark out the limits of our position. We will build
block-houses, form a square with our artillery, construct
barracks and store up provisions. In 1813 we shall be
in Moscow; in 1814 at St. Petersburg. A war with
Russia is a war of three years."
There is reason to believe that had Napoleon remained
in Lithuania, the good natured and pacific character of
Alexander would have led this monarch to have brought
about peace. But Napoleon lost patience, abandoned
Witebsk and pressed forward. However, he decided not
to pass Smolensk, the key to the two roads to Moscow
and St. Petersburg, roads which he must control in order
to be able to continue his march in the springtime on the
two capitals.
At Smolensk he counted on resting and establishing
himself and putting everything in order, and if Russia
refused to submit, that would he the end of her. But
Smolensk was abandoned in its turn. Napoleon became
impatient again and pressed forward once more.
It was at Moscow that this gigantic enterprise was
crushed. Those who participated began to murmur, and
those who conducted it began to lose their heads. At
Moscow he humiliated himself before Alexander: he let
him understand, as if on purpose, the difficulty of his
position. By the first-comer he sent message upon mes-
sage; he overwhelmed the Czar with amiable words.
17
INTRODUCTION
He assured him of his friendship and his brotherly de-
votion, and without waiting a response to his letters he
sent his generals. He wished to make peace ; " I must
have peace," said he to Lauriston, in sending him to find
Kutusoff. " Peace at any price save only honor." Never-
theless, as General, he permitted pillage, while as Em-
peror he became irritated by being unable to stop it. He
wished to march upon St. Petersburg at the beginning
of winter, and as if to mock the chiefs of his army, he
ordered the purchase of twenty thousand horses and great
quantities of forage in a country already completely
ruined.
Then came retreat with intentional delays to preserve
booty. The Russians took the outposts and barred the
passage to Malo-Iaroslavetz. The division of the army
into independent columns permitted them to be fought
one after the other; they were almost entirely destroyed.
Systematic burning by the advance guard of the villages
through which they passed, demoralized and ruined the
rest of the army. In the end the license permitted the
soldiers to profane the churches, to starve and put to
death the prisoners, provoked the population which was
irritated to horrible retaliations. Here and there, as at
Krasnoie, the emperor showed some gleams of genius,
but they were only the manifestations of the great force
of his soul, the last intermittent but powerful gleams of
a star which was about to be extinguished.
Vassili Verestchagin
18
CATALOGUE
— AND —
ORDER OF SALE
CATALOGUE
I
San Juan Hill
That part of the hill up which Roosevelt led the Rough
Riders.
Comer of the Morro Castle at Santiago
Showing in the distance part of the naval battle and
the blowing up of the Spanish ship Oquendo.
3
Principal Gate leading to Morro Castle, Havana
The U. S. troops passed through this gate.
4
U. S. Battery
Commanding the entrance of the Harbor of Santiago
de Cuba.
5
Far from Home
H. $o}i in., W. i6}i in.
A typical American soldier in the American army of
occupation of the Philippines.
21
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
6
General MacArthur and his Staff at the Battle of
Caloocan, Feb. lo, 1899
H. 48 in., W. 29 in.
Fought a few days later than the battle of Santa Ana.
The troops engaged were the ist Brigade, 2nd Division,
8th Army Corps, and part of the 2nd Brigade of the
same Division. The troops were commanded by Gen.
Arthur MacArthur in person, and consisted of the loth
Kansas Regiment, U. S. Volunteers, a Light Battery of
the 6th U. S. Artillery, 2 Batteries, Utah Light Artillery,
1st Montana Regiment, U. S. Volunteers, loth Penn-
sylvania Regiment, U. S. Volunteers, the 3rd Artillery,
1st Colorado Volunteers and the ist Nebraska Volunteers.
The position occupied by the Headquarters of Gen. Mac-
Arthur was on top of a row of tombs in the cemetery
of La Loma Church near Manila. The battle was fought
for the possession of the town of Caloocan. Col. Frost
occupied this entrenched cemetery with his regiment.
The forward movement began about 3 p. m. and con-
tinued until dark. The movement began by throwing
forward part of the 3rd Artillery and loth Pennsylvania
Volunteers well to the right for a demonstration; the
whole line then moved forward and swinging gradually
to the left carried the earth works constructed by the
insurgents, on the south of Caloocan as well as all along
the east side of Caloocan. Very strong intrenchments
had been constructed over the railroad bed just north of
Caloocan, where some artillery was used by the insur-
gents.
This was probably the most picturesque fight during
the entire insurrection. From the point of view of the
Commanding General at La Loma Church nearly all the
troops could be seen during the entire movement. The
3rd Artillery, commanded by Major (now General)
Kobbe, moved as if in extended order drill, never losing
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
the regularity of formation or control of their fire. As
an incident of the battle to the observer, the following
might be mentioned:
General Kobbe was riding his pony with the advanced
Hne, when General Bell (then Major Bell), who had
command of several companies of native scouts, appeared
from the right, approached General Kobbe and in a heavy
part of the fire chatted for some moments in the open.
General Kobbe drew a cigar from his pocket, struck a
match and lighted it and went on as if at ordinary drill.
The casualties on the American side of this fight were
about 20 killed and some 40 wounded. The casualties on
the side of the insurgents were about 200 killed and 400
wounded. — Memoranda of Capt. Wm. G. Haan.
Battle near Santa Ana, Manila
H. S^Va in-j W. 71^ in.
Fought on the morning of February 5, 1899, between
U. S. Troops and native insurgents of the Philippine
Islands. The United States troops engaged were the ist
Brigade, ist Division, 8th Army Corps, consisting of the
1st Washington Volunteers, the 2d Oregon Regiment of
Volunteers, the ist California Regiment of Volunteers,
Company A, U. S. Engineers and the Wyoming Batallion
U. S. Volunteers.
The fight began at daylight and lasted until 10.30
o'clock, A. M. The brigade was commanded by Gen.
Charles King, U. S. Volunteers. The ist Division was
commanded by Major-General Thomas M. Anderson,
U. S. Volunteers.
The movements of the battle of Santa Ana were gen-
erally directed by General Anderson around a point known
as " Battery Knoll." (This is the point from which the
artist took his observation.)
28
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
General Charles King was in immediate command of
the line in front of Santa Ana.
The movement across the small creek near Battery
Knoll began about 7:30 in the morning and advanced
gradually to a point about half way to Santa Ana, where
a considerable firing took place and little movement for-
ward was made for nearly an hour. The right wing,
under command of General (then Colonel) James F.
Smith, I St California Volunteers, was pushed well to the
front towards San Pedro Macati and then swung into
the left upon Santa Ana, forming a partial envelope.
The movement was then gradually forward until the city
of Santa Ana was taken at about 10:15 a. m.
The casualties on the American side consisted of 14
killed and about 60 wounded. The casualties on the side
of the insurgents were never accurately known, but from
the number that were buried the next day, it appeared
that approximately 300 were killed and not less than five
or six hundred wounded.
The strength of the troops in Santa Ana were com-
posed of a division commanded by General Pio del Pilar,
who however was not in immediate command. The line
was immediately commanded by General Ricarte, who it
is said disappeared to the rear early in the action.
The insurgent troops contested the ground very stub-
bornly for several hours. This was shown from the fact
that in one trench about 50 yards long, 34 dead were
found. Similar evidences were found in many places.
The two pieces of Artillery on Battery Knoll did ex-
cellent execution, both towards Santa Ana and towards
the right in driving away parties having a flank fire on
the Brigade moving on Santa Ana. — Memoranda of
Capt. Wm. G. Haan.
A Deserter, examined by the Cavalry Officers of the
Vanguard to discover whether he is a spy
H. 42 in., W. 51 in.
24
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
9
Battle at Zapote Bridge
This battle was fought between 2 p. m. and* 3 130 p. m.
June 13, 1899. General Lawton was in command. Cap-
tain Seay commanded the infantry and Lieutenant Kenly
the artillery. The loss was not very great on the Amer-
ican side, about six killed and fifteen wounded. The
most striking incident of the fight was the use of the
mountain artillery, which was worked at the close range
of 35 or 40 yards.
10
The Insurgent Spy
II
" You are hit, Sergeant? " " Yes, Sir
H. 40^ in., W. 2954 in.
12
Battle of San Juan:
^'COME IN BOYS!!''
25
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Awaiting Peace
H. 23^4 in., W. 29J/^ in.
Napoleon, who had always been remarkable for his
extreme rapidity of thought and action, now lost courage
and could determine on no direct course. He, who in the
year 1805 had been able suddenly to abandon the Bou-
logne undertaking, begun with so much trouble and cost,
in order to lead all his forces into the field with incred-
ible rapidity against Austria; he, who a year later dic-
tated, without the slightest mistake or miscalculation, all
the movements of his army, as far as Berlin itself, who
not only fixed beforehand upon the date of his entry into
the Prussian capital, but even appointed the Governor —
found himself, after the burning of Moscow, which de-
stroyed all his hopes and plans, in a lamentable state of
indecision. At one time he almost signed an order direct-
ing the army to hold itself in readiness to march against
St. Petersburg, but he soon gave up this plan. He wished
to attack Kutusoff, become master of Tula and Kaluga,
the arsenal and storehouse of Russia, and thus make a
new way for his winter quarters in Lithuania; but again
he changed his mind. Finally, he thought of attacking
Wittgenstein with all his forces, but could not determine
upon this movement, as it might have borne the appear-
ance of a retreat.
The idea of gaining possession of St. Petersburg and
compelling the Emperor Alexander to come to terms was
the most attractive to Napoleon. But as this could not
possibly be carried out before the winter, he cast about for
some other means of enforcing peace. Alexander had
already received, or would within a few days receive, his
amiable and friendly letter, dated from Moscow. Natur-
ally, he thought, the Emperor would not fail to embrace
this opportunity of entering into negotiations with him;
and thus, full of torturing uncertainty, he waited and
waited for his answer from the Russian Emperor.
26
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Marshal Davout in the Monastery of Tchoudow
H. 48 in., W. 305^ in.
Davout had his headquarters in the new convent of the
Virgins. When, however, he came in the exigencies of
the service to the Kremlin, he stopped at Tchoudow Mon-
astery, where the altar had been thrown out and his camp-
bed put in its place. Two privates mounted guard on
either side of the holy door.
Return from the Palace of Petrowsky
H. 34>4 in., W. 54 in.
From the 5th to the 17th of September it rained heavily,
which diminishes without suppressing altogether the con-
flagration, and when Napoleon returned from the Palace
of Petrowsky to the Kremlin, the city not only was smok-
ing still, but was in flames in some places. The camp of
the French troops which surrounded the palace extended
as far as the gate of Twer. The Generals occupied the!
factories. The cavalry camped on the avenues. In every
direction great fires were lighted, fed by window frames,
doors and all kinds of furniture. Around these burning
piles, on wet straw, were grouped the officers and soldiers
begrimed and black with smoke, sitting in arm chairs, or
lying on sofas garnished with rich materials. They
wrapped their feet up in costly furs and oriental shawls,
and ate from silver plates a black soup of horse-flesh
mixed with ashes. One could see in the city but the re-
mains of houses, and everywhere a sickening odor of
burning came from the ruins. In most of the streets it
was difficult to effect a passage on account of the crum-
bling of the walls and the piles of household furniture and
other articles.
The Emperor met everywhere bands of soldiers drag-
ging their plunder with them or driving before them like
27
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
beasts of burden Russians who bent double under their
loads. The men of the different corps, most of them
drunk, refused to obey their officers and fought one an-
other for their plunder. Napoleon, though accustomed
to view with a calm curiosity the most frightful battle-
fields, could not help being affected by this spectacle. Im-
mediately upon his return he interested himself in the sad
condition of the foreigners and especially the French, but
for the tattered starving Russian who wandered here and
there he had no more consideration than to establish a
court-martial, which rid him of those he thought in-
cendiaries, that is to say, of almost all those who dared to
show themselves on that day.
" At one time," relates a citizen of Moscow, " I saw the
people running towards a place where numerous French
were going also. They were going to hang some so-
called incendiaries that these brigand-soldiers had gath-
ered in. Among them I recognized one ; he was a servant
from the house of Korsakoff ; he was old and blind. Was
it possible that he had been an incendiary ! He had al-
ready one foot in the tomb. They took all those who fell
into their hands and made of them incendiaries. When
the rope was put around their neck they began to beg in
a manner that drew tears from several among us, but the
hands of the blackguards did not falter. They hanged
some and shot others to make an example and to scare
those that were looking on."
But after the arrival of Napoleon at the Kremlin the
order to stop this pillage was given and repeated without
success. " The Emperor," one may read in the reports,
" saw with much sorrow that, in spite of his express com-
mands, the pillage continued with the same violence."
" From to-morrow, the 30th of September," says another
order, " all soldiers who are arrested for pillaging will be
judged with the greatest severity," but the orders of
Napoleon were ineffectual. The looting continued, and
the whole French army was soon no more than a horde
overladen with booty.
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
i6
The Hut in Gorodnia: Advance or Retreat?
H. 4oy2 in., W. 59>^ in.
Napoleon was in Borowsk when he received the good
news of the occupation of Malo-Iaroslavetz by a French
division. This occupation was effected without a battle,
the French having arrived ahead of the Russians on the
road to Kalouga, During this whole day the emperor on
horseback kept a watchful eye upon the country. His
eyes were kept on the left side of the route, from which he
feared to see the Russian army issue, but the latter was
not to be seen, and he passed a tranquil night. But on the
following day, the 24th of October, he learned that " the
Russians were there, and that they had defeated and
driven from laroslavetz the French division, which had
been expecting the corps of the Viceroy Eugene to come
to its help, and that the struggle had been sanguinary."
Napoleon in great excitement hurried to one of the neigh-
boring heights and listened eagerly. Could the Barbar-
ians have been too cunning for him ! Was it possible that
the old fox, Kutusof f , had outwitted him ! Or could he
himself have been too slow ! Could he. Napoleon, have
been the cause of this defeat through his want of energy !
If he had not for a whole day held back the Prince Eugene
at Fominskoe, the prince would have already been at
Malo-Iaroslavetz, and consequently at Kalouga, and they
would have been in advance of the enemy; that was an
assured line of retreat. 'How idiotic not to press the
march, to reduce the baggage of the troops, the marshals,
and his own ! He was too late, and now what chances !
Fine weather, his army leaving Moscow rested and re-
mounted; all due to him as much as to Kutusof f; all
ruined, and his fault ! He listens, he listens again ; steady
cannonading ! It is certainly a battle ! It is now clear
to him that it is no longer a question of fame, but of
saving the army and of flight.
29
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
When the firing of the cannon became more and more
rare, he entered one of the huts of the hamlet of Gorodnia,
some miles from Malo-Iaroslavetz, and called together
the marshals who were at hand.
All through the night one report succeeded another,
telling him that the field of battle remained in the hands
of the French. The Russians, repulsed but sheltered in
the forest, occupied a stronger position on the other side
of the town and their ranks were augmented from hour
to hour. At last came the news that the army of Kutu-
soff disclosed the intention of turning the left wing of
the French by the road of Medyne, and that there was no
choice except to engage in a general battle, or to beat a
retreat. At eleven o'clock Marshal Bessieres, sent to
reconnoitre, returned and reported that the position of the
Russians was impregnable. The Emperor folded his arms
on his breast. " Do you hold yourself responsible for
what you are saying?" Bessieres repeats his report,
and assures him that the Russian position is so solid that
with three hundred men they could hold in check an entire
army. He ventures to propose retreat, and is backed by
other officers. The emperor listens to their opinions and
asks Count Lobau, " What is your advice ? " " Retreat,
sir, by the shortest road, and as soon as possible."
Napoleon, always with his arms folded, his head bent,
remained sitting in an attitude of deep thought. There
was no longer any doubt he had made a mistake, and he
alone was responsible, he could not accuse any one else.
The image of Charles XII., so often mentioned during
this campaign, and his blunders, which he had so firmly
determined not to repeat, appeared before his eyes in spite
of him. How had it all happened !
As usually occurs in such cases, when conscience brings
all our actions in a lightning flash before our eyes, he saw
in a moment the whole history of the campaign, from the
occupation of Moscow to the present time.
He remembered the order given by him to Marshal Mortier,
appointed Military Governor of the capital, to prevent all incen-
diarism, all plundering : " Your head will answer for it I Defend
30
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Moscow above all and against all ! " Then came the dreadful
night which brought to his ears the sad reports of incendiarism.
He had been overcome by them and could find no rest. Again
and again he had called up his attendants and made them repeat
these rumors, always hoping that they could not substantiate them,
till, at two o'clock in the morning, the flames broke forth! He
had hurried in person to the scene of the conflagration, giving one
order after the other, scolded, threatened. The fire seemed to be
extinguished, and he had returned to the Kremlin somewhat reas-
sured. He had at last seen himself the possessor of the Palace of
the Muscovite Tsars.
" Now we shall see," he said, " what the Russians will do
next! If they will not now begin to treat for peace they must
be made to do so by patience and perseverance. We are now
in winter quarters, and we will show the world the spectacle
of an army peaceably wintering, surrounded by a hostile popu-
lation, like a ship in the midst of Arctic ice ! In the spring we
will begin the war anew. But Alexander will never let matters
come to this extremity, we shall agree and conclude peace."
Napoleon had evidently foreseen all these contingencies — the
bloody struggle before Moscow, the long stay at Moscow itself,
the severe winter, even disasters ; but, with the city in his power,
and 250,000 soldiers at his back, he thought himself secure against
the worst.
But then came the unforeseen — the city was engulfed in a
huge, inconceivable conflagration. The earth seemed to open
and spit out the fires of hell. Even now, when thinking over the
events of that night, he shuddered at the recollection of his awak-
ening in the double glare of dawn and of these terrible flames,
remembered his order that the fire should be put out at any cost,
and the conviction, to which he was speedily driven, that this
was an order impossible to execute, and that there was a will
at work even stronger than his own.
This conquest, for the sake of which he had made every sac-
rifice, which, like a shadow, he had endeavored to seize, eluded
his grasp, vanished in fire, in clouds of smoke, in the crackling
and crumbling of falling buildings ! Again he called to mind
how, in his excitement, he did not know where to begin, what to
undertake; how he had sat down, stood up, sat down again; had
set about some urgent work, thrown it aside, rushed to the
windows to watch the track of the fire, and then cried : " This,
then, is what they are, these barbarians, these Scythians ! How
many magnificent buildings — palaces! What resolution! What
men ! "
The panes near which he stood were so hot that they burnt
his face, and the men placed on the roofs had scarcely time to
81
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
extinguish the sparks as they fell. A rumor spread that the
Kremlin was undermined, and many servants, and even court
officials, lost their heads with fear. Napoleon had sadly watched
the flames snatching away his brilliant conquest, even blocking
up his way out of the Kremlin, and holding him prisoner. He
had seen the neighboring buildings fall victims to the flames, and,
watching the ring of fire close in around him, had already begun
to breathe smoke and ashes.
The King of Naples and Prince Eugene hurry to him, and,
together with Berthier, beg him on their knees to leave the palace,
but he still remains.
At last the report is brought in, " Fire in the Kremlin ! The
incendiary captured ! "
He now makes up his mind to leave the Kremlin, rushes down
the celebrated Strelitz Staircase, and gives orders to be taken to
the Petrowsky Palace outside the city. He must hurry, for the
flames around him increase at every moment. He hastens to the
river, whence a small winding street leads him to an outlet from
this hell.
On foot he presses forward, through this fearful avenue of
flame, through the crackling of innumerable burning buildings,
the thunder of falling masonry, of beams crashing from the roofs,
and molten metal pouring from the gutters. The road is so
covered with debris of all kinds that it is most difficult to force
a passage. The fires which destroyed the buildings in front of
which he had to pass rose upwards on both sides of the streets
and formed above his head a veritable arch of flame.
In this desparate situation, where haste alone could ensure
safety, the guide came to a stand. He had lost his way. Napo-
leon's career on this earth would have ended there and then had
it not been that some marauders of the First Army Corps recog-
nized their Emperor, hurried up to his aid, and led him out to an
open space that had already been burnt out. He now involuntarily
shuddered at the recollection of these awful moments. In spite of
the storm which had burst forth, of the many eyes fixed upon him,
waiting for his commands, he could not shake off the incubus
of this recollection.
Again he remembered how, early the next morning, he had
cast a glance from the Petrowsky Palace in the direction of Mos-
cow, and had had to acknowledge to himself that the conflagra-
tion was ever on the increase, and that the whole city seemed
like one huge devouring pillar of flame and smoke.
The extraordinary effort to obtain possession of Moscow had
exhausted all his resources. Moscow was the end of all his plans,
the goal of all hopes and endeavours, and this Moscow was now
vanishing. What should he now do?
32
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
He who was accustomed to explain his plans only so far as to
ensure their due execution was now driven to seek advice. Na-
poleon proposed to march on St. Petersburg. The Marshals
argued that the season was too unfavourable, the roads too much
cut up, that provisions were unobtainable, and that, therefore,
such a campaign was not to be thought of. Out-voted, but not
convinced, he could not fix on any definite plan; he hesitated,
and suffered tortures.
He had so confidently hoped for peace in Moscow that he had
not even provided for proper winter quarters, and could not make
up his mind to face another battle, as this would expose the
whole line of operation, now strewn with wounded, sick, and
stragglers, and blocked up by carts. The main point, was how-
ever, that he could not renounce the hope for which he had
sacrificed so much, that the letter which he had addressed to
Alexander would be successful. That letter must now have
passed the Russian outposts, and within the week, perhaps, he
would receive the longed for answer to his proposals of peace
and friendship. Why not?
His fame, his star were at that time still in full splendor, why
should he not believe in the possibility of a favourable issue !
At that time he had stood firm, had not run away as he had now
to do.
Under the weight of these remembrances Napoleon
remained stupefied, and to the demands of the Marshals,
who continued to await his orders, he replied only with
a discouraged shaking of his head. He passed a sleep-
less night. At daylight he got into his saddle and left
for Malo-Iaroslavetz so quickly that the four squadrons
of cavalry which constituted his habitual escort, ordered
up too late, were not ready. Long lines of ambulances,
wagons of powder and ammunition encumbered the way.
Suddenly, in the distance on the left of the road, were
discerned several groups, then a compact mass of cavalry.
The stragglers and women who follow the army took
fright and scattered in disorder, howling and groaning
in a great panic. It was the Cossacks of Platoff. They
advanced with such rapidity that the Emperor, not un-
derstanding at once what it meant, halted. General Rapp
had but time to seize briskly the bridle of Napoleon's
horse, and turning quickly, cried, " Save yourself, they
are here." Napoleon succeeded in escaping, but the
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
horse of Rapp received such a lance stroke that he fell
with the General. The cavalry escort which now gal-
loped up saved the Emperor and his suite, and the Cos-
sacks disappeared as quickly as they came. Intent on
plunder, they had not remarked the magnificent prey
they had allowed to escape. The brave Rapp related
afterwards that Napoleon, remarking the General's horse
bleeding, asked him if he were not wounded. Upon his
answering that he was only bruised by the fall. Napoleon
burst into loud laughter. The general added, that for
his part, he had no desire to do likewise.
The battle-field of Malo-Iaroslavetz was horrible. The
city, which changed masters eleven times, had disappeared
from the face of the earth. The streets were marked by
lines of bodies. After congratulating the Viceroy on his
victory and being assured that the Russians were work-
ing with feverish energy to fortify their position. Napo-
leon returned to the hut of Gorodnia, where Murat, the
Prince Eugene, Berthier, Davout and Bessieres followed
him. Thus in that small, dark and dirty room an Em-
peror, two Kings and several Dukes and Marshals met
together to decide as to the fate of the Grand Armee, and
with it that of all Europe. On a bench in the center of the
only room was seated Murat, the marshals stood be-
fore the table, on which, under the ikon. Napoleon, his
head hidden in his hands, endeavored to conceal the ter-
rible anguish and indecision betrayed by his countenance.
An inkstand, a map and the celebrated plumed hat of
Murat were on the table, on the benches a portfolio and
rolls of maps, on the floor torn envelopes and fragments
of reports. Silence reigned in the room. It was neces-
sary to get out of a position which had become critical,
to solve a complicated problem ! How to reach Smolensk
and by what route ! By Kalouga ? There untouched re-
gions would be crossed, rich and well provisioned, but
defended at all points by the Russian army. By Mojaisk
and Viazma? The old route they had taken in coming,
where the country was starved, ravaged, burned and in-
84
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
fected. The silence was long. Napoleon for a long
time mentally weighed all the chances of success in one
case and the other, but he could not succeed in making
any decision. His eyes wandered over the map spread
out before him, or fixed themselves again and again
on Malo-Iaroslavetz and Kalouga, his recollections al-
ways taking him to Moscow, to the neighborhood of
Alexander, and bringing back to him his attempts at
peace. He thought of the humiliations which these at-
tempts entailed, of his letters which remained unanswered.
Smarting under these insults, he again proposed to his
Marshals to burn all that was left of Moscow, and to
march on St. Petersburg. He endeavored to excite
their imagination with the prospect of new exploits.
" Think," he said, " of the glory that will cover us, and
how the world will praise us, when it hears that in three
months we have captured the two capitals of the North ! "
But they again urged the severity of the weather, and
the bad state of the roads. " Why should we rush
towards a winter which is so rapidly approaching ? "
they asked. " What will become of our wounded ? We
shall have to leave them to Kutusoff's mercy, and he
is certain to follow us. We shall have to attack and
defend ourselves at one and the same time, conquer and
fly ! "
These discouraging responses influenced him to at-
tempt a new effort with Alexander, and to try once
more if the charm that he had in bygone times so power-
fully exercised upon him still existed. This proved but
one more humiliation. He had chosen Caulaincourt,
who he knew was favored by the Czar, but whom he
had neglected on account of his constant opposition to
the whole campaign. Too proud to acknowledge his
error Napoleon remained silent for a long time before
his chamberlain. Then he spoke. He said he was ready
to march on to St. Petersburg, He knew that the ruin
of this city would affect Caulaincourt, his ancient am-
bassador, and be a great calamity. He wished to pre-
86
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
vent this, and inasmuch as he had a high opinion of his
enemy, the Emperor Alexander, he had decided to send
Caulaincourt to St. Petersburg; what had he to say-
to this?
Caulaincourt was an obstinate man, and no courtier,
although he had once been an Ambassador, and he openly
declared that such a message would be useless, that
Alexander would hear nothing, and refuse to entertain
the idea of peace until every Frenchman had left the
soil of Russia. In his opinion, Russia knew well, es-
pecially at this season, the strength of her own position
and the weakness of the enemy's. Such an attempt
would do more harm than good, as it would acquaint
Alexander with the dangerous situation in which Napo-
leon found himself, and enable him to guess how urgently
the Emperor desired peace. Moreover, Napoleon's sol-
icitude would be more evident the higher the position
of the person sent as Ambassador. He, Caulaincourt,
would be the less likely to obtain his object, inasmuch
as he would arrive at St. Petersburg strong in this con-
viction. " Enough," interrupted Napoleon, angrily, " I
shall send Lauriston."
But Lauriston was equally unwilling to undertake
the mission, and advised that, instead of negotiations,
the retreat should begin without delay. The Emperor
was obliged to insist, and at last explicitly commanded
Lauriston to undertake the negotiations. He rode off
with a letter to Kutusoff, requesting a free pass to St.
Petersburg.
Kutusoff and his Generals well understood how to
deceive Lauriston with flatteries, courtesies and an ap-
parent desire for a speedy conclusion of this terrible
campaign, and Napoleon himself was so greatly misled
by this duplicity that he summoned his staff and made
known to them the approach of peace.
Had Lauriston overlooked the red uniform of the
Englishman, Wilson, behind Kutusoff's chair? Why
had he indulged in these vain boasts, even if it were
86
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
only to those most intimate with him!
Whilst Napoleon was pondering over these things,
the Marshals were whispering to one another, closely
watching the Emperor, but not daring to disturb him.
He sat bent over his map, still invincible, still uncon-
quered, but oppressed with the most intense anxiety for
the fate of his army, his name, his dynasty and France.
Napoleon thought of his melancholy walks through
the huge cemetery, for the Moscow of that time resem-
bled nothing so closely — through masses of plundered
wealth, the masquerades in which the troops had in-
dulged, subversive of all discipline, the daily exhibition
of rich gifts, which seemed to terrify rather than to de-
light the recipients.
He remembered the sleepless nights, during one of
which he disclosed to an intimate friend. Count Daru,
the inward workings of his mind, and acknowledged to
him openly the difficulty of his position. He still pos-
sessed sufficient clearness of mind to recognize the true
state of affairs after the return of Lauriston.
Napoleon acknowledged that in this savage country
he had not conquered one single man, and could only
call his own that piece of earth on which at that moment
he stood, that he simply felt himself absorbed by the
huge, immeasurable territory of Russia. He admitted
that he only hesitated to retreat because he could not
bring himself to admit, in the eyes of Europe, that he
was fleeing from Russia — he shrank from dealing the
first blow to his supposed invincibility.
It was now evident to him that here, as in Spain,
the guiding principle of his policy, never to withdraw,
never openly to acknowledge a mistake, however great
it might be, but to march steadily onward, was no longer
applicable.
He well understood that he could not depend on Prus-
sia, and that nothing could be done with Austria. He
furthermore saw that Kutusoff had overreached him, but
still he hesitated. It appeared, in fact, equally impossible
37
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
for him to halt or to retreat, to advance or to risk a battle
with any prospect of victory.
During this period of vacillation and doubt he was at
great pains to persuade himself and others that matters
were not so bad as they appeared to be. The loss of
Moscow, he argued, " was indeed a misfortune, but it
had also its good side, for if the city had not been
deserted it would have been difficult to maintain order
among its 300,000 fanatical inhabitants, and, at the same
time, to sleep quietly in the Kremlin. It was true that
nothing now remained of Moscow except ruins. Still,
one could at least occupy them in peace. Again, although
millions in " contributions " were lost, how many thou-
sand millions was Russia losing. Her commerce had
been destroyed for a century at least, and the develop-
ment of the nation retarded for at least fifty years —
that was no mean result! When the excitement of the
Russians was at an end, and the hour for deliberation
struck, then would they be terrified. The blow would
undoubtedly shake the throne of Alexander, and compel
him to sue for peace.
The check of Murat at Taroutina, the abandonment
of the ruins of Moscow, the insoluble situation at Malo-
laroslavetz finally determined Napoleon to cease all ter-
giversation. Retreat was imperative. The first to break
the silence was Murat, he showed signs of impatience.
" I may be accused of recklessness," he said, " but we
cannot remain in one spot, and as it is dangerous to go
back, let us attack. What does it matter if the Russians
are behind their fortresses. Give me what is left of the
cavalry and I will force a passage to Kalouga." Napo-
leon quenched this ardor, saying that enough had been
done for glory, and it was necessary to think of saving
the army. Bessieres said that the tired remnants of the
cavalry had not enough spirit and was incapable of the
effort that the King of Naples demanded of it. It was
only necessary to survey the battlefield of the day before
to be convinced of the courage of the Russians and to
38
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
see that the new recruits knew how to fight and die.
Bessieres concluded his speech with advice to retreat,
and the Emperor, judging from his silence, was not far
from assent, when Davout remarked that if they decided
on retreating they would have to march towards Smo-
lensk by the Medyne. Either from wounded self-love
or because of his hatred for Davout, Murat shouted that
the Marshal wished to take the army to its destruction,
harassed as it would be on its flanks by Kutusoff.
" Will you, Davout, undertake to defend it ? Have we
not the straight line to Borowsk and to Mojaisk to beat
a retreat upon, with provisions awaiting us ? " " My
way is sure and much shorter," howled Davout, " the
soldiers would find themselves in villages which are in-
tact and will furnish living and shelter from the cold.
On your route, Murat, there is sand or the cinders of
destroyed places, and for the comfort of the soldiers,
epidemic and hunger ! if the Emperor wishes advice, here
it is! You cannot compel me to keep silence although
you are a King. You are not my King, and you never
will be." Berthier and Bessieres separated in time the
two chiefs. During this dispute the Emperor remained
seated and motionless, bending over his map apparently
heedless of the quarrel. At last he raised his head and
said to his companions in arms, " Well, gentlemen, I will
give the order."
17
Resting by Night
H. 42 in., W. 60 in.
The frightful winter which had let itself loose, surprised
the French army. Embarrassed by the immense booty,
and laden with precious things, they had no warm cloth-
ing, and the cold proved to them that they were not
masters of that country. The order of Napoleon to burn
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
everything on their way, as a pretence of punishing the
Russians, struck first his own army. The order being
executed by the advance guard instead of the rear, it
deprived the unhappy soldiers of all hope of warming
themselves from time to time, and obliged them to pass
the nights sleeping in the open air. Those who suc-
ceeded in lighting fires stayed for hours together seated
around them, not noticing that they were burning their
clothes, while their frost-bitten limbs were slowly freez-
ing. Some of them got right into the fire and there
perished. The nights of snow and tempest were espec-
ially terrible. In crowded ranks, enveloped in rags and
tatters, the soldiers uttered prolonged groans that seemed
to rise above the raging of the tempest. Soldiers, of-
ficers, generals, mixed together, cried for their native
land, for their mothers, for their brothers, and covered
with imprecations the names of Alexander and Napoleon.
i8
Napoleon in the Frost
H. 30>4 in., W. 23>^ in.
" Napoleon was clothed in a Polish dress, consisting
of a cap trimmed with sable and a green coat edged with
the same fur, with gold frogs, and warm top boots. . . .
Napoleon was on foot, . . . He was dressed in the
above-mentioned costume, and had in his hands a birchen
staff." — Chambray.
19
Revenge — Hurrah !
H. 56 in., W. 6o>4 in.
Napoleon left Smolensk, and Prince Kutusoff left
Stschelkanow to march towards Krasnoje on one and the
same day.
40
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Thither hastened also on the enemy's side the Corps
commanded by Junot, the artillery of the Guard, the parks
of artillery, the Cavalry and the Guides. The Polish
Corps covered the left flank.
Then came the French from Smolensk — first the
Viceroy, then Davout, and at last Ney, all at a distance
of a day's march from one another.
Ney received the command of the rear-guard after
Davout had been declared too pedantic and slow. He
was ordered to put the sick and wounded out of their
misery, to burn anything that could not be carried away,
to blow up all walls and towns, for Napoleon said that
" in his next campaign he did not wish to be stopped by
these obstacles."
Prince Kutusoff communicated the movements of the
arn^y to Tschitschagow, and added that for the future he
would follow up Napoleon's left flank. " By so doing
I shall keep up my connection with the fertile provinces,
a safe communication with you, and when the enemy
does not see me near him he will not dare to halt for
fear lest I shall surround him." Miloradowitsch received
instructions to occupy the road to Krasnoje, and to en-
deavor to cut off the retreat of the enemy into the town.
He was to be careful not to drive the French to despair,
but let them retreat, and, as far as possible, only skir-
mish with the flank or rear-guards.
At four o'clock in the afternoon on November 3d,
Miloradowitsch approached the high road and saw the
French Guard, led by Napoleon. The Emperor was
taken aback by the appearance of the Russians, as he
had not thought it possible that they could head him,
and he believed himself to be followed only by Cossacks.
The eldest son of Starost Semen was serving in a
regiment of the Guards. Semen had the right to exempt
his sons from military service, but as he did not wish to
be less patriotic than the nobility, who, without excep-
tion, hurried off to the war, he caused his eldest son to
be enrolled. The second lived in the wood, where, with
41
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
the women, he looked after the property that had been
saved and stored in quickly - constructed earthen huts.
The youngest son had joined the Starost in tracking
down the enemy.
The son knew nothing of the misfortunes that had
overtaken the old man, but he had heard that the latter
was seriously engaging, not only marauders and strag-
glers, but small parties of foragers. As he was now in
the neighborhood of his home, he hoped to meet, if not
his father, at least some of the family.
The apparent want of resolution on the part of their
leader, Kutusoff, was totally incomprehensible to the
Russian rank and file. The soldiers related how " He "
— that was the Field-Marshal — had given orders not to
press too closely upon the retreating foe, and not to pro-
voke a desperate defence on the part of men driven to
bay. " Pity ! " They were all longing for the end of
the war, they could not be worse off in the next world
than they were now during this winter campaign. Mi-
loradowitsch's men suffered exceptionally severely, and
had to endure cold, hunger, and fatigue. Whilst the
main army moved comparatively slowly, with intervals
of rest, they knew absolutely no cessation of their daily
change of position. The foragers brought in very little,
horses and men marched with the greatest difficulty, and
the losses were enormous. The soldiers slept in the open,
and in warming themselves set fire to their own clothes.
On days when provisions were scarce Miloradowitsch
used to say, " The less bread, the more fame." That
was not, however, the prevalent sentiment. The hope of
cutting off the enemy's army, and capturing it, together
with Napoleon, was common to both officers and men.
It was not known with which of the regiments the Em-
peror of the French would be found, and, although the
advance guard marched into Krasnoje in view of them
all, they still hoped to capture the corps that followed,
and awaited them with the greatest impatience.
42
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
During the whole of the following morning not a
single Frenchman was to be seen on the Smolensk road.
About three o'clock the Cossacks reported that the Vice-
roy was coming from Rjawka in heavy columns.
Miloradowitsch drew up a corps of Infantry and an-
other of Cavalry across the line of march, and parallel
with the road he placed Rajewski, who at that time com-
manded only a division.
When the Viceroy saw himself cut off from Krasnoje
he drew up his corps in line of battle. It was accom-
panied by masses of unarmed soldiers, cavalrymen with-
out horses, artillerymen without guns. The Artillery had
lagged behind, and been attacked near the River Wopp by
the Cossacks, so that, altogether, only about seventeen
guns at that time were available.
The battle was unequal, and did not last long. The
French were driven out of all their positions, and only a
few, with the Viceroy at their head, managed to escape
into Krasnoje. The Grenadiers with shouldered mus-
kets came out of the wood in which they were concealed,
shouting " Hurrah ! " Dragging their feet with difficulty
through the snow, they attacked the enemy with so much
determination that the great column laid down its arms
and surrendered.
Nevertheless, the action was not completely finished on
that day, and a yet fiercer struggle was expected to take
place on November 5th.
Napoleon then marched out of Krasnoje to join Da-
vout, who was to come from Smolensk. He walked at
the head of the Old Guard, in his fur cloak lined with
sable, his sable cap, and lined boots, carrying his birch
stick in his hand. He was going back deeper into
Russia, and on a remark being made regarding the danger
to which he exposed himself with so weak a force, op-
posed by the Russian army, he replied : " I have played
at being Emperor long enough, it is time for me to be
General once more ! "
48
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Recognizing that Davout could not join him without
great loss while the Russians held the road, he determ-
ined to attack the main army, in the hope that the cau-
tious Kutusoff would have recalled Miloradowitsch, thus
giving the First Corps a chance of forcing its way
through. This almost turned out to be the case. Milo-
radowitsch was compelled nolens volens to let the main
portion of the Marshal's detachment pass through and
join Napoleon. He attacked only the rear guard, tak-
ing about seven thousand men prisoners, together with
twenty-eight guns.
Prince Kutusoff, who showed so much prudence —
many called it cowardice — was true to his policy. After
he had personally inspected the position of the French
before Krasnoje, and had firmly convinced himself that
Napoleon was in command, he confirmed the orders al-
ready given, not to drive the enemy to bay, as in that
case the Russian losses might be very heavy. He held
to the opinion that the whole army must be compelled
to leave the country, and not a remnant, that there was
no object to be gained by incurring a great loss of life.
The enemy's army, he thought, must of necessity be
destroyed through cold, hunger, and the other hardships
attendant upon a winter campaign, and when crossing
the Beresina under the Russian guns would be obliged
to lay down their arms.
Being on the left of his company, Semen's son had
often to charge at the point of the bayonet. He was often
under a heavy artillery fire, and met death face to face.
He saw many awful sights : the whole country strewn
with dead and dying, ammunition cases, hospital carts,
guns, muskets, pistols, drums, breastplates, ramrods, bay-
onets, swords, carriages and phaetons from Moscow (the
last-named being especial favorites with the French) lay
heaped together, besides horses with bowels protruding
and abdomens gaping, into which the enemy crept for
warmth. The French wrapped themselves up in priest's
vestments or women's clothes to guard against the cold,
44
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
fastened straw round their legs and covered their heads
with women's caps, Jews' hats, or woven cane.
However greatly the Russians may have suffered, their
condition was not to be compared with that of the enemy.
It is sufficient to mention that the French ate those of
their compatriots who succumbed through hunger, roast-
ing them at the bivouac fires.
The Russian Generals insisted in their orders on char-
ity and brotherly love. The soldiers, indeed, could not
fail to be moved to compassion toward the victims of such
terrible misfortunes. Many a time did they succor the
starving French, moving about like mere ghosts, by feed-
ing and warming them.
Soon, however, Ivan's feelings received a terrible
shock; in the snow, near the road, his company found
the bodies of three peasants who had been shot. One of
the bodies was that of an old man. A single glance was
sufficient — he recognized his father and two of the vil-
lagers. They lay there, buried in the snow, with wounds
in their breasts and in their heads. There was no time
for mourning, a grave was quickly dug and the three
victims were buried. From that time forward Ivan had
less compassion for the enemy, and on the following day,
when about to attack Ney's column, Miloradowitsch gal-
loped up to his men, and said : " There are the French, I
make you a present of them ! " he and his companions
waded through the deep snow, threw themselves on the
enemy, and terribly avenged the death of his father.
When, later, he returned to his village, he related how
he had found the " old man " and his companions, with
bullet holes in their breasts and heads, gnawed by dogs.
The whole village celebrated Mass for the dead, the
musket of the slain Starost being hung up in the church.
Either the musket was of no value in the eyes of the
French, or they had forgotten it ; in any case, it was found
in the spot where the execution took place, and for many
a day was an object of great interest, not only to the peas-
ants, but to the magistrates, who looked upon it as a
45
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
monument of the deeds of valour performed by the mur-
dered Mayor.
The martyrdom of Semen and his heroic deeds gave
rise to many legendary stories. There were even eye-
witnesses who related how the Starost had slain a large
number of Frenchmen before being overpowered, and his
grandchildren did not hesitate to relate that the old hero
had not had time " to load and pull the trigger " ; the
number of those whom he killed it was impossible to
estimate.
20
In the Ouspensky Cathedral
H. 42}i in,, W. 51 in.
All contemporaries agree in stating that the churches
on the line of march of the Grande Armee were used as
stables. On the portico of the cathedral of Malo-Iarosla-
vetz one could read written in charcoal, " Stable of the
General Guilleminot."
" The Churches," says Labaume, " which as buildings
suffered least through the conflagration, were used as
barracks or stables. The neighing of horses and the hor-
rible blasphemies of the troops took the place of the
sacred hymns whose melody had once echoed through
these holy aisles."
Rene Bourgeois briefly remarks that the cavalry took
all the churches that were spared by the fire. According
to the author of The Journal of the War, the rich churches
of Viazma were all devastated and pillaged. Against
the exterior walls of the Cathedral of the Assumption,
in the enclosure of the Kremlin, were established forges,
on which the French melted gold and silver attached to
the sacred statues or stolen from the church. The figures
of the results of these depredations were found inscribed
in chalk in the emperor's stall, 365 pouds of silver and
18 pouds of gold (a poud equals 35 pounds).
46
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Behind the altar of the Cathedral of I'Archangelsk,
also at the Kremlin, a church consecrated by the tombs
of the Czars, a French cantaniere had established her
living room. She cooked near the window, dressed in
a rich chasuble. Everywhere were piled up sacks of hay,
corn, potatoes and barrels of salted provisions, which
made the nave a vast store house.
" Everything in the Cathedral," says Prince Schac-
howski, who was among the first to return to Moscow
after its evacuation, " had been destroyed or stolen. The
Rakha of the Holy Metropolitan Philip was not to be
found; we gathered together the remains of his relics
and laid them on a small bare side-altar."
The coffin covering the remains of the Metropolitan
Peter was completely broken up, the lid torn asunder,
and the grave dug up. In the Cathedral, from the cupola
downwards, with the exception of the Rakha of Saint
Jonas, not a single piece of metal, not a vestment was
left behind. The wooden monuments of the coffins of
the Archpriests of Moscow were stripped, but only one
of them was cut up, namely, that of the Patriarch Herm-
ogen.
Prince Schachowski believes that the insults shown to
the memory of the great patriot of the popular move-
ment of 1612 prove their perpetration by the Poles.
" On arriving at Moscow," says an eye witness, " I
found that after the departure of the French, the relics
of the saints were found removed from their settings
and dispersed, and many of the holy martyrs had limbs
pulled off; that the head of Tzarevitch Dmitry was cut
off, and the remains of the Metropolitan Alexis had com-
pletely disappeared." The altars everywhere had been
upset to be transformed into tables. The ikons served
them for targets and wood for burning. Church vest-
ments were seen everywhere on the backs of the soldiers.
The Monastery Tchoudow and the Cathedral of the An-
nunciation were not spared any more than the Assump-
tion, where the Czars were crowned, and where the
47
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
soldiers, it is said, in the presence of Napoleon, had not
only taken off the ornaments from the large ikons of
the saints, but destroyed them and left nothing but
empty spaces. Vases of gold and silver, jewels and
objects of art that the clergy had been imprudent enough
to leave in the cathedral, the ecclesiastics beheld pillaged
under their eyes. Among other things that disappeared
was the celebrated candle-sticks, in silver, given by Boy-
ard Morosow during the reign of Alexis Michailovitch,
which was marvelous in its execution. Everything, even
to the evangels and the church books were burned in
order to separate from them the precious metals.
In the choir of the Cathedral of Kazan, a dead horse
was deposited in the place of the destroyed tabernacle.
Antique furniture, broken utensils, the remains of the
pillaging of the Muscovite palaces, were spread about
in the most of the churches. Even the manikins and lay
figures from the Museum of Armor were found grouped
as a sign of mockery in derisive attitudes.
Napoleon, wishing to see the archepiscopal Russian
service compelled a priest of inferior rank to hold a
service in Ouspensky-Sobor ; for this he presented him
with a " Kamilawka," or cap, worn by the secular priest-
hood. He ordered the big cross taken down from the
tower of Ivan le Grand, about six metres high and plated
with silvergilt, as he wished to put it on the dome of the
Invalides in Paris, but in the desperation of the retreat,
this cross was thrown, according to some into Lake Sem-
lewo, according to others, it went near to Wilna, whence
it was returned to Moscow, and restored to its place.
Into this lake they threw so much booty from the pillage
of Moscow, that it would be interesting to know if any
search has been made at any time in the waters along
the route.
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VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
21
The Partisans: Let them come
H. 56 in., W. 6oy2 in.
Simon Archipovitch in 18 12 was starost (mayor) in
a village of the government of Smolensk in the district
of Krasnoie, about forty verstes (7 miles) from the high-
road. On their march towards Moscow, the men and the
horses of the Grande Armee found in the villages and
fields along the route what was necessary for their sub-
sistance, so that the foraging parties did not make their
way far into the interior. The mayor, Simon, had already
hidden in the forest all that he had, with the determina-
tion to take refuge there with the peasants, but seeing
no one and regaining courage he returned to his home
with all his family. But soon marauding parties appeared
demanding bread, milk, etc., and showed a very cruel
spirit to all the peasants who fell into their hands. The
mayor and his fellow villagers longed to retaliate but
they refrained, not wishing the ill-will of the French,
who had spread the rumor of the speedy and complete
occupation of Smolensk and its government, which hence-
forth would not belong to Russia, and of the complete
emancipation of the serfs in that part of the empire.
The reports excited such an agitation in the minds of the
peasants that there were men who were ready to help
the march of the invader by bringing back all that they
had hidden in the form of provisions, forage, etc., and
in some districts the peasants were seen trespassing on
the domains of their landlords and plundering their
houses. It was said that the Bishop of Moguileff and
his clergy had ordered public prayers in the churches
in which the name of the Emperor Napoleon was sub-
stituted for that of Czar Alexander. The trouble became
so serious that in some districts the enemies were given
a hospitable reception and the soldiers were presented
with bread and salt. Among the peasants discontent was
49
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
widespread, and Simon remarked that the more the
French advanced the more the revolt gained ground
and the more often appeared, though still a little timid,
the reprisals against the land owners and their stewards.
Even his own orders were unwillingly obeyed. From all
sides, however, irritating news was brought. The French
were carrying off everything they could lay their hands
on. They encamped in the fields, trampled down the
newly sown seed and treated the inhabitants in the most
cruel manner. The women and young girls were pursued,
outraged, and even assassinated. Men and children met
the same fate. It was said that the churches were turned
into barracks, powder magazines, stables and slaughter
houses, and that the silver settings were torn off the
pictures of the saints and the holy images were thrown
into the streets, where they served as firewood, while the
altars were turned into tables and benches. The invaders
desecrated everything, the sacred vessels and the church
vestments, profanations horrible and impious in the high-
est degree in the public mind.
It was impossible to disbelieve the news, and it provoked
terrible excitement among the peasants, destroying the
influence of those who had urged patience, under the
belief that Napoleon would free them. A peasant who
escaped from Moscow related that want of discipline
was so prevalent in the French army that the superior
officers had lost all authority. The troops drank, plun-
dered and killed. In the Kremlin, on the altar of the
Archangelski Cathedral, they erected a kitchen. Horses
were stationed in the Upenski Cathedral. The insults
and desecration were indescribable. Two priests were
killed in the Andronjef Monastery. The peasant him-
self saw a target placed upon the Red Gate composed
entirely of pictures of Saints. The vestments of a priest
and the chaplet of a bride had been taken out of the
Voznessenki Monastery and put upon a tame bear, which
had been made to dance. The inhabitants had been tor-
tured in every imaginable way, and many had seen the
60
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Princes Wolkonski, Lopuchin, and Galizyn, laden with
sacks, and driven along by the French with shouts of
" Alio ! " " Alio ! " {Allans! Allans!) On his way from
Moscow he had heard that the people were seeking
now to avenge themselves ; that large parties of peasants
had flocked to the battlefield of Borodino to pick up
muskets, swords, and all kinds of weapons for despatch-
ing the French, whom they might chance to meet on the
roads, in the woods, or villages.
Simon summoned his council under the authority of
the priest, and it was determined to ask the superior
authorities if the murder of a Frenchman would be pun-
ished by the Czar; if not, they would come together and
with the assistance of God defend their villages. The
arrival of an officer of Figner's Cossacks, come from a
reconnaissance with some men in the neighborhood of
Moscow, put an end to all hesitation. He told the peas-
ants not only would the murder of a Frenchman not be
regarded as a crime, but it would be credited on the
contrary as a laudable service. He announced, moreover,
that Napoleon had very little time longer in Moscow, as
Kutusoff held him there as in a trap. A corps of volun-
teers was soon formed, Simon being given command.
At first there was some difficulty with the young men,
who refused to accept so old a chief under the belief that
he would not act with enough firmness and audacity, but
order was restored spontaneously and promptly when
they perceived that this so-called lack of audacity was
only good tactics.
When Simon found himself in the presence of a
superior troop he never risked his men. He tried to get
in touch with some other detachment or with the Cos-
sacks, but if the affair gave some promise of success the
mayor knew how to exhibit the necessary energy and
determination. Having surprised, in a village near his
own, a detachment which, after having shot some of the
peasants on the porch of the church, were resting unsus-
piciously in a hut, he had the hut silently sealed up by
51
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
his men, then the exits barricaded and fagots brought,
he set fire to the house and burnt the marauders alive.
Simon was not naturally cruel. Among the bodies of
partisans of the neighborhood we are told of chiefs who,
not satisfied with the different punishments already-
known which they could inflict on their prisoners, in-
vented new ways of making them suffer and die, the
others appearing to them too gentle in comparison with
the crimes of the invading horde. It is said that the
chief of the Cossacks, Figner, often put the French pris-
oners in line and shot them through the head one by one.
This mutual ferocity was terrible and went so far that
some of the French being attacked and resuming the
offensive, soaked in oil the partisans they were able to
capture and warmed themselves at this new kind of bon-
fire; on other occasions they skinned alive the peasants
who were found with arms in their hands. Simon made
reprisals, but never shot without necessity, especially
soldiers without arms. He sent his prisoners to the civil
authorities of his district, thus washing his hands of them.
He was very severe with his own men, and one of them
having sold some provisions to the enemy was judged,
condemned and shot, with the consent of the village priest.
The volunteers were not all armed in the same manner;
some had old muskets of a style dating at least in the
previous century ; others had excellent French guns which
had been taken from the dead and prisoners; many
had but bayonets and shoulder belts taken from the
enemy; others had only pikes or poles to which scythes
had been fastened. It was not rare to see among the
volunteers some old priest with cross in hand endeavor-
ing to encourage the men and inspire them with more
firmness and hardihood. A discharged soldier assisted
Simon in mounting his sentries who should signal the
approach of the enemy. A bell was rung and the parti-
sans on foot or on horseback ran to an appointed place
of meeting. There were many classes of people among
.the volunteers. A village deacon among others on horse-
52
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
back guarded the outskirts of the village, especially at
night, letting no one pass without subjecting him to a
serious and penetrating inspection, although he had only
one eye. Another man, Fedka, was also noted for his
courage. He was always in the front ranks with his
long red hair and beard. On the whole, the corps of
Mayor Simon, consisting of perhaps a hundred mem-
bers, assisted some fifteen hundred Frenchmen into the
next world and took nearly three thousand prisoners.
7S^
Bad News from France
H. 60 in., W. 46 in.
On Tuesday, the 6th of November, 18 12, the Russian
winter made its real appearance in the form of a violent
snowstorm. On this day Count Daru accompanied by
his staff went in haste to the Emperor, and held a
mysterious conference with him, which naturally aroused
the already uneasy attention of the Emperor's staff.
This was the first courier that had arrived for six days.
It did not take long to transpire that he was the bearer
of bad news from France. It related to the conspiracy
of Mallet, a General heretofore unknown, who had just
missed success in carrying off the power by means of
false dispatches about the ruin of the Grande Armee and
the disappearance of the Emperor. The attempt had
accidentally failed. A part of the plan of Mallet had
succeeded, and if Fouche had allowed himself to be
arrested, the Empire were lost! The Emperor learned
at the same moment of the crime and the punishment of
the guilty. He disguised his emotion and contented
himself by saying to Daru, " We should have been in
fine case if we had remained in Moscow ! "
When in the presence of the army Napoleon showed
neither fear nor uneasiness, but his anxiety became all
68
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
the more apparent when he found himself alone with his
immediate staff. He then displayed astonishment, anger
and rage. But when quite alone with the thoughts which
for a long time past had permitted him no rest, his mind
was filled with deep sorrow.
What would Europe say? How it would rejoice at the insta-
bility of his much-vaunted new institutions, and at the want of
civil courage in those persons who were the props of his State.
Was it possible that the era of revolutions and turmoils in
France was not yet at an end ! Was it possible that his relation-
ship to the imperial House for which he had made such great
sacrifices, counted for nothing ! Was his son, the hope and sup-
port of his country, of so little importance that he was forgotten
in the moment of danger !
The Headquarters were encamped near the Post Office,
and the Emperor occupied a small village church sur-
rounded by a wall. The field bed, with the articles of
his toilet, harmonized badly with the ornaments of the
old church, the gilt Slavonic decorations, the pictures of
Christ, the Virgin and Saints, which, gloomily, full of
reproach, looked on at the unusual preparations made for
the reception of an intruder who forced himself upon
them with such scant courtesy. The picture of Christ, as
well as all the other paintings, was hacked and scratched
and desecrated in every possible manner by the soldiery !
One of the eyes of the figure remained untouched, and
seemed to pass judgment on the scenes around Him. . .
The day was closing; many of the older Generals
waited for an opportunity of gaining audience of the
Emperor; but, without a summons they did not dare
intrude. A number of important documents lying on the
table awaited his inspection, and yet Napoleon sat im-
movable, buried in deep thought, holding in a convulsive
grasp the report brought from Paris.
" I am no longer wanted in France ! " he pondered. " Good,
let them elect another, we shall see if he can manage better."
And how had it come to this !
What had become of Alexander? What had rendered this
good-natured man so bitter? It is true that Narbon had already
told him in Dresden, after his return from Wilna, that the Tsar,
who was neither weak nor boastful, was not to be moved from
64
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
any resolution upon which he had determined; but still it was
difficult to explain the hatred expressed in all Alexander's pro-
clamations and manifestos.
Even at the very beginning of the campaign they had to con-
ceal those Russian manifestos from the army, charged as they
were with the most deliberate and venomous insults against the
person of the Emperor. The soldiers had to be deceived, and the
Russian army represented to them as demoralized, ready at any
moment to take to fhght. They had to be amused with the tale
that the Emperor of Russia would soon be murdered by his dis-
satisfied subjects, and with the rumor that he was coming as a
fugitive, begging the Senate for aid and pardon for his flight. In
the meanwhile Napoleon himself would have given much to be
able to enter into immediate and direct relations with this fugitive.
How bitterly he now repented that he had so contemptuously
rejected Alexander's last efforts to preserve the peace — the
sending of General Balascheff as delegate, the importance of
which he had not grasped. This was evidently Alexander's last
word of peace and friendship before the opening of this most
deadly struggle. Thereafter the Russian Emperor had not only
imposed silence upon himself, refusing to make any advances,
but he would not even vouchsafe a reply.
As Napoleon could not make the first overtures in person, he
had endeavored to open up negotiations through Berthier, who
wrote to Barclay de Tolly : " The Emperor has commissioned me
to beg you to communicate the expression of his highest regard to
the Emperor Alexander. Tell him that neither the vicissitudes of
war, nor anything else, can ever impair the sentiments of personal
friendship which he feels for him." He then remembered how he
had again tempted his fortune in Moscow, when he ordered the
unfortunate Tutolmin to appear before him, and the poor old man
had lost his reason through terror. Napoleon had made use of
much logic to convince this official that a peace could easily be
concluded if no intriguers came between him and Alexander, and
this he begged him specially to hint at in his report. The old
man promised everything possible and impossible in order to
escape speedily from the outbursts of Imperial rage, which,
against Napoleon's will, were manifest during the interview.
Still more unpleasant was the recollection of his attempt to
force an embassy of peace on Jakowleff, a Russian nobleman
seized while trying to escape from Moscow. For two hours he
explained his views and intentions to this strange person, whom
his soldiers had plundered, and who presented himself before
Napoleon in the dress of his valet. This improvised ambassador
had certainly pledged his word to deliver the letter in person to
66
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
the Tsar, though he made promises which he could not fulfil, im-
pelled thereto by fear and by the hope of obtaining his liberty.
Ah ! what a pity ! Napoleon felt that his arguments were
powerful, that had they but come to Alexander's ears he would
certainly have admitted their force. " If Alexander will only
express a wish to arrange terms," he said, " I am ready to listen
to him; I will sign peace in Moscow, as I have signed it in
Vienna and in Berlin. ... I did not come here to remain. It
was not necessary for me to come here, and I should not have
come had I not been compelled. The field of battle, on which
the war was to be decided, was in Lithuania; why has it to be
carried into the very heart of the country. If a single word had
been uttered by Alexander, I should have halted at the gates of
Moscow, bivouacked my army, without even entering the sub-
urbs, and declared Moscow to be a free city! I waited several
hours for his word, and must openly admit that I desired it. The
first advance of Alexander's part would have proved to me that
in the depths of his heart there still lay some affection for me.
I should have prized it, and peace woud have been concluded
between us without any intermediary. He need only have said,
as in Tilsit, that he had been, as far as I was concerned, greatly
deceived by others, and all would have been immediately for-
gotten ! "
Was it possible that such generous words and intentions could
find no echo in Alexander's heart ! Yet he had received no
answer to the letter sent through Jakowleff, and he now found
the recollections of these letters, and all of these outbursts before
men of no position, with no pretense to such intimacy, very
bitter.
And again his former intimacy with Alexander recurred to
his memory. He saw the figure of this young enthusiast as he had
known him in Tilsit: they had sworn friendship, and endeavored
to surpass each other in complaisance. Alexander submitted will-
ingly to Napoleon's superiority of mind, experience, and genius,
and loudly declared that the " friendship of a great man was a
gift of the gods." Had anything happened since then that could
not be set right by mutual concessions and treaties ! What had
induced him to enter upon this war against the advice of his best
friends, against the voice of his own conscience, and against the
interests of France, which, according to his own candid opinion,
was not in a fit state to carry on at the same time two such
undertakings as the Spanish and Russian campaigns!
In vain did he seek for some vital interest of State which
would have rendered it politic to throw the sword into the balance.
In his own remembrance there only existed two grounds. The
one was far distant, the almost forgotten insult which had been
56
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
offered to him when, as a First- Lieutenant, he had been refused
admission into the Russian service. Vainly had he sought to
prove to the Commander of the Russian Mediterranean expedition
that, as a Captain in the National Guard, he was entitled to expect
the rank of Major in the newly- formed Russian army. His re-
quest was refused — so much the worse for the Russians. The
second was an insult of a more recent date, a deadly, personal
insult, the rejection of his suit. The hand of Princess Anna had
been refused to him. Napoleon, and, as if purposely, bestowed
soon afterwards on a petty German Prince! Refused to him,
who was ready to make all political and family concessions, who
had explicitly declared that even the difference in belief would
prove no obstacle ! No suitable reply was returned ; either an
immediate agreement with his wishes, or a refusal, and he in-
sisted on an answer within forty-eight hours ! How could he act
otherwise? He could not play at being lovesick, nor pay court
to the Princess, nor could he be expected to beg the acceptance
of his suit as an alms. That would be unworthy of him, not
only as a man, but also as Emperor of the French, as a ruler
of the West. He showed foresight only in his demand for an
immediate answer, for, instead of a definite reply, matters dragged
on until finally it became clear to him that either Alexander did
not desire the marriage, or was not the head of his own family.
Then, in society, people began to whisper and smile — this was
a terrible humiliation.
Was this, then, in truth the direct and immediate cause of the
war! Would these inhuman butcheries have been avoided had
Anna been his wife and settled down in the Tuilleries ! Did he
allow self-love and pride to obtain so great a mastery over him!
And to these questions his conscience answered Yes ! Yes !
Had he no other cause of complaint? No.
Did there exist between the two countries any irreconcilable
differences, any misunderstandings admitting of no solution?
No ! The non-observance of certain articles in treaties, the ques-
tion of English goods, together with his violent polemics with
Alexander, were but mere pretences ....
These reflections were indeed terrible ! . . . .
A noise at the door of the church made him start up
and collect himself. Berthier, bearing dispatches, entered
unannounced, again running the risk of insult from his
master, unhinged by the effect of these mortifying re-
collections. But, contrary to all expectations, Napoleon
greeted the Chief of the Staff most amiably. He was
glad of company, to be free from his terrible mental
sufferings and qualms of conscience.
57
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
A Sea of Fire
H. 22 in., W. 29 in.
On the Red Square (in front of the Kremlin) the
guard house and several smaller constructions were burn-
ing. Zamoskvoretchie, on the other side of the river,
was a sea of flame ; the sight was extraordinary : for
four times twenty-four hours the nights were as bright
as day. The streets on fire were covered with long can-
opies of flame: fourteen thousand houses were burned to
ashes . . .
24
Peace at any Price!
H. 35^ in., W. 4iy2 in.
" I wish for peace, I must have peace without fail !
Only save my honor ! " were Napoleon's instruction to
General Lauriston, when sending him to the Russian
camp. Kutusoff and the headquarters deceived the
French General with assurances of the desire for peace
among the whole Russian army, which gave occasion for
Napoleon to say to his Marshals and Generals, who were
summoned to hear this joyful news : " I alone knew the
character of the Russians and their Emperor — on the
day that my letter arrives in St. Petersburg, the town
will be illuminated ! "
25
Before Moscow: Awaiting the Deputation of the
Boyars
H. 52 in., W. 415^ in.
The battle being won at Borodino, more properly, the
Russian army being thrown out of the way, fatigued
58
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
and still ill, Napoleon went towards Moscow in a car-
riage, but he rode on horseback the last section, ad-
vancing with prudence, reconnoitering with the cavalry
surrounding hedges, ravines and crossroads. Another
battle was looked for. Very often they encountered earth-
works commenced in haste and abandoned. Nowhere
was the least resistance made. There remained to be
crossed the last hill, called " The Hill of Salutation,"
because from its summit one sees the sacred city, and
before entering it, the Russian pilgrims there perform
their first devotions. The sun illuminated the roofs and
the golden cupolas of the immense city.
It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon when the French
advance guard showed itself on the hills, and before this
magnificent panorama they raised a joyful shout of
" Moscow, Moscow ! " Behind them the soldiers rushed
forward in disorder, and the whole army repeated
" Moscow, Moscow ! " with the same enthusiasm with
which sailors fatigued by a long and trying sea voyage
cry out " Land, Land ! " Napoleon stopped, filled with
emotion and delight, and could not repress an exclamation
of joy. The Generals, whose attitude since Borodino
had been somewhat cold, forgot their resentment and
came near to the Emperor; the marvelous city was their
captive at their feet. Carried away by such complete
success, full of hope at the news which was circulating
of the arrival of a Russian envoy, they forgot their dis-
content and saluted once more the star of the Emperor,
which shortly before they had supposed obscured. Napo-
leon himself could not help crying : " Here it is, the
famous city ; it was time ! " Soon, however, the warrior
showed signs of great uneasiness. No keys were sur-
rendered with due respect to his rank, nor was he met
with the accustomed prayers of the citizens for clemency
and mercy such as he was wont to receive in the other
capitals of Europe. His impatience was accentuated by
the fact that an hour previous he had ordered his General,
Count Durosnel, to push on to Moscow to organize the
59
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
demonstrations. He did not know the Moscovites had
abandoned the city. Not only the officials but the in-
habitants had fled in a mass, so that his conquest was
empty. No one dared to tell him. When at last he
became aware of the facts, he could not believe this total
abandonment of the city, and still hoped that a deputation
of some kind would appear and relieve him from the
awkward situation in which he was placed in the eyes
of his army, all Europe and himself. They gathered to-
gether in haste a few foreign dealers, added a few of the
lower classes, and presented them to Napoleon. The state
of the poor wretches was pitiable. They were far from
thinking of welcoming the conqueror. They had eyes
only for his face and for the splendor of his staff. It
was necessary to leave to another occasion the speech
to the Boyars with all the grandiloquent expressions pre-
pared for the occasion, whose echo was to resound
throughout the globe. When an unhappy French printer,
as spokesman of this so-called deputation, had enough
courage to mutter a few words, he had the gentle word
" Imbecile " thrown at him by the Emperor.
A Russian prisoner, who was present at the scenes,
testifies to the stupor of Napoleon at the news of the
abandonment of Moscow. " He lost for an instant all
consciousness. Then he became nervous and rubbed his
nose, took off and put on his gloves, pullecj out his
handkerchief which he wrung between his hands, walked
up and down with hasty footsteps, stopped all of a
sudden, and alone appeared much agitated in the midst
of his Generals, who remained like statues, not even
daring to move."
Here then is the result of several months of a difficult
campaign, mercilessly conducted, a farce from which
he, the Emperor, turned away, lest he should add ridicule
to his profound mistake. His hope of separating Alex-
ander from his Boyars and opposing Moscow to St.
Petersburg, vanished. He mounted his horse and de-
parted at a gallop for a suburb of the city.
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
26
Captured
H. 5954 in., W. 79^ in.
Famine was not long in appearing after the departure
from Moscow and made itself felt among the men and
the horses, and as the country had been devastated all
along the road during the advance, the army corps found
itself obliged to provision itself by sending foragers afar
and accompanying them not only by cavalry, but also
by infantry, and often by artillery. The village of Simon
Arkipovitch was empty all the week excepting on Sunday,
when the peasants still met in their devastated churches.
One of these Sundays, a watch, who was in the tower,
sounded the warning bell at the moment the mayor and his
people were coming out from service. They only had time
to seize their arms, but they were already surrounded by
a detachment of French Hussars. Semen, surprised, did
not know whether he had fired off a shot or not in the
melee. Completely dazed, a sharp pain brought him to
consciousness as he felt his bones cracking while they
fastened his hands behind his back with his own sash. One
of those who were binding him had blood on his cheek.
" I must have done that," thought Semen, " he is so
anxious about me." The Frenchman was really enraged
with the old man, and fastened his elbows together behind
as if he were a horse in its collar, growling all the time,
"Attends, mon vieux, tu vas voir."
Semen understood nothing, he had been too badly
beaten, his bones ached, and his head was dazed. As
if in a fog he saw, besides himself, three other peasants
had been taken prisoners. The red-headed Fedka, the
intrepid hunter of the French, dumb but angry; the in-
dignant narrator of the profanations of Moscow, Grigory
Tolcatchef, groaning as much now as he had talked
before; and the lame Jeremka, saddler, blacksmith and
61
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
armorer for the repairs of the pikes and sabres of his
brothers-in-arms. Semen led the march, courageous as
always. Fedka followed him closely, avoiding by his
agility in walking and getting over obstacles, the blows
of the sword or the butt end of the musket, freely be-
stowed upon the infirm Geremka, whom the soldiers
encouraged to rouse himself by blows of feet and fist,
the unhappy man leaving behind him on the snow a trail
of blood. As for Grigory, in spite of his strength, he
had been so severely beaten that he stumbled like a
drunken man. So, tired of hauling him along, the soldiers
consulted together, and one of them fired a gun into
his ear. At the sound. Semen and his companions under-
stood what was happening, but they did not dare even
to turn their heads to give their comrade a farewell look.
They marched this way for thirty or forty verstes. All
of a sudden a stream of men accoutred in the most
peculiar manner, with women's garments, legs wrapped
up in rags, dirty faces, unshaven and swollen by the cold,
seemed to drag themselves along, infantry, cavalry, all
mixed up, in the midst of carts, wagons and sleds. This
was on the main road from Moscow to Smolensk. By
the side of the road, a group of better dressed men were
warming themselves and talking near the fire. " Offi-
cers," thought Semen, Among them, with his back to
the fire, was a short, fat man, with a fur hat and a
green velvet overcoat, on which sparkled an order; he
held with eagerness his hands towards the flames ... "It
is he," continued Semen, and as the escort stopped, with
a military salute, he had a presentiment that he was in
the presence of the great chief, and involuntarily he
knelt down and was followed by the others. One of the
soldiers was already off his horse and with his hand
to his hat was making his report. At this moment fear
overcame Semen. He bowed his head and commended
himself in a fervent prayer to Christ, the Mother and
the Saints. Fedka had also understood, but he only stared
more fixedly at the little man, saying to himself, " What
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VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
assurance, a manikin, that one could crush Hke an insect
on his nail." Napoleon turned towards the hussar a
weared and indifferent face, and murmured, " Arms in
their hands?" "Yes, sir." "All of them?" "Yes,
sir." " Shot." That was all.
Semen came to himself and raised his head on being
shaken and compelled to stand on his feet. All were
excited; a carriage was driven up for the fat man; he
got in, together with another General wearing the mantle
of a Russian Cossack, and drove away ; the others fol-
lowed, some on horseback, some in carriages.
" It was really he, brothers," whispered Fedka, greatly
impressed, but it was only for a short time. By means
of halters passed round their bodies the prisoners were
fastened to the trunks of willow trees, at the foot of
one of which, while warming himself, the Emperor had
pronounced their doom. A bullet in the head of each
one terminated the partisans. Semen Arkipovitch and
Jeremka were dead, their heads falling on their breasts;
it was necessary to dispatch Fedka.
The clothing of the victims became the property of
the hussars : the fine Sunday caftan of the mayor fell to
the wounded soldier. The rest divided the sheep skins
of Fedka and Jeremka. The fear of the stragglers did
not permit even the aged companion of the pious and
courageous mayor to look for and find the body of her
husband.
27
Incendiaries
28
In the Kremlin: The Conflagration
H. 51 in., W. 41^ in.
The conflagration at Moscow began during the night
which followed the evacuation of the city by the Rus-
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
sians. When the emperor entered the Kremlin, the drug-
stores, the oil shops, and the quarters of Zariadie and
Baltschouk were already burned. The Bazaar of the
Red Square was taking fire. Marshal Mortier, if he
did not entirely stop the conflagration, at least by his
efforts preserved the Kremlin, but the following days
the flames extended themselves- with such rapidity that
the part of the town, Zamoskvoretchie, situated back of
the river was enveloped.
" For four successive nights," says an eye-witness,
" one could go without candles, because it was as light
as day." A wind from the northeast blew the fire again
towards the Kremlin, in which, as though on purpose,
an artillery station had been established containing great
quantities of powder. It is easy to understand what
anxiety reigned in the palace.
The fire in the district behind the Moskwa, which
lay straight in front of the palace, had all the appearance
of a tempestuous sea of flame and produced an extra-
ordinary impression. Napoleon could find no rest, he
paced through the various rooms of the palace with
mighty strides, his every movement betrayed extreme un-
easiness. He endeavored to view the fire from the walls
of the Kremlin, but the heat of the flames compelled
him to return to his apartment; his face was red and
covered with perspiration.
In his bulletin, Napoleon affirms that the preparation
of the conflagration of Moscow should be credited to
Rostopchin, but that is completely false. As half the
people remaining in Moscow were composed of ragamuf-
fins, it is not impossible that they undertook the task of
propagating the fire, but there was no preconceived plan
to burn the city. If on one side many Russians were of
the opinion that it was better to burn their goods and
chattels than to abandon them to the enemy, and so set
fire themselves to their houses, on the other hand the
French soldiers went about seeking for plunder with
burning torches and pine-knots, setting fire to piles of
64
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
wood in the court-yards without taking the sHghtest pre-
cautionary measures. In such circumstances it is not
surprising that three- fourths of the wooden-built town
should take fire and burn. The terror of Napoleon at
the sight of this gigantic conflagration must have been
great. Having made great sacrifices to capture Moscow,
with a desire to strike Russia to the heart, it was with
death in his soul that he saw his prey escape him in
smoke, and converted into piles of ruin about which the
Russians themselves would henceforth concern themselves
very little. The plunder of the city commenced with the
first entry of the troops. The news that Moscow was
full of treasure, which was being carried off on all sides,
spread with lightning rapidity throughout the camp, and
when the first marauders returned la'den with rum, wines,
cognac, sugar, coffee, etc., it became impossible to keep
the soldiers in the ranks. The kettles were left without
fire or cooks. Those that were sent to hunt up water
and wood did not return. The sentries even left their
posts. The booty was so rich that the officers them-
selves gave way to temptation.
It was above all the Germans of the Confederation of
the Rhine and the Poles who showed themselves most
grasping. They tore from the women their shawls and
their silks, their dresses even. They took their ear-rings,
rings and watches. The Bavarians and the Wurtem-
burgers were the first to dig up the dead in the cem-
eteries in order to rob them. They broke the statues
and vases of marble. It was a rage for destruction.
Napoleon decided to leave the palace, and he left by
the same route by which he had entered. From the Stone
Bridge he went to Arbat, lost his way, was nearly burned
up and reached the village of Horoschevo with the great-
est difficulty. He crossed the Moskowa on a pontoon
bridge near the Waganka Cemetery and arrived in the
evening at the Petrowsky Palace.
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VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
29
Vive rEmpereur! Taking of the great Redoubt at
Borodino
H. 64^ in., W. 97>^ in.
The battle was still. The French cuirassiers ended by
taking the great redoubt, the trenches filled with dead
and wounded. Napoleon proceeding leisurely over the
battle field appears in the distance on a white horse. The
soldiers salute him. A wounded man who has just had
his limb amputated seizes his cut-off foot and raising it
in the air calls with all his strength, " Long live the
Emperor ! "
30
On the Great Road: The Retreat
H. 7iy2 in., W. ii9>4 in.
Napoleon made the first part of his retreat in an
excellent carriage, perfectly appointed for work as well
as for repose. The vehicle was lined with furs. After
Smolensk he went more frequently on foot, clad in a
long velvet coat lined with sable and ornamented with
gold frogs. He wore a fur cap with ear-flaps, and fur
lined boots. The cold was intense. The newly fallen
snow concealed the condition of the Smolensk road :
carts, ammunition wagons, arms, bodies of horses and
men, were piled one on another on both sides of the
road. The officers of the staff marched in close rank
behind the Emperor, silent and discouraged. The smile
had disappeared from the lips of even the most zealous
courtier. Napoleon walked some paces in front leaning
on a birchen stick, sombre but inpenetrable. On the
previous day he had an opportunity at Krasnoie of
66
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
reviewing what was left of the best army in the world.
He must have been greatly troubled, for through the
whole night his attendants heard him lamenting aloud,
and commiserating the state of his soldiers in the most
heartrendering terms.
From day to day the situation became more critical,
the regiments melted away visibly and the men who re-
mained under arms forgot all discipline. The personal
prestige even of the Emperor was waning, and those
on whose devotion he was still counting, as days went
on manifested an indifference not far from hostility.
On one occasion the Duke of Vincenzia was near one
of the camp fires and wishing to use it for the Emperor,
who was awaiting with his suite on the road, overheard
such expressions by the soldiers that he advised the
Emperor not to come near. Another time the wheels
of a heavy cart passed over both legs of a wretched
member of the Army Service Corps. Rolling about the
snow in his agony, he called out to Napoleon, who was
passing by, " Monster ! You have been devouring us
for ten years ! Friends, he is mad, he is a cannibal !
Avoid him, he will swallow us all ! " Napoleon passed
by, without appearing to hear this, while the dying and
exasperated man continued to shower epithets upon him.
Surely Napoleon's mental sufferings were greater than
his physical discomforts. One can imagine how in sleep-
less nights as well as in long marches on the white plains
of snow, there came to him most trying recollections.
He remembered how the French youth entered into this Rus-
sian campaign as if going to a picnic, to a joyial expedition of six
months, promising promotion and decorations. They said to their
acquaintance, " We are off to Moscow, we shall meet again soon ! "
They had no thought of hard work and danger.
Never before had such tremendous preparations for a war been
made. For a long time before the war began, thousands of men
of all professions — smiths, locksmiths, carpenters, masons, me-
chanics, clock-makers, had offered their services. Most of them
were not even aware that all these preparations were directed
against Russia. Indeed, public sympathy was inclined to side
with Russia in her war against Turkey, and the general question
was: against whom was this expedition to be launched? Was it
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
England,. Prussia, . Turkey, Persia, or even the West Indies?
Tchernicheff's sudden departure gave some clue to the answer,
but nothing certain was known ; moreover, an army order forbade
all discussion or mention of war.
The army was undoubtedly the finest that had ever been raised.
Eleven corps of Infantry, four corps of heavy Cavalry and
Guards; altogether 500,000 men with 1,200 guns awaited the
command of the Emperor.
How terrible was the contrast between then and now. It
seemed to Napoleon that it was only yesterday that he was in
Dresden, where luxury, splendor and adulation had made him a
fabulous Asiatic demi-god, showering diamonds upon all who
approached him.
The Emperor of Austria had protested in the most submissive
manner that he could always count on Austria to insure the com-
plete triumph of the expedition; and the King of Prussia had
assured him, with equal humility, of his undeviating attachment
to his person and loyal support of his policy.
The King of all kings, he felt himself embarrassed by the
attentions of the monarchs, who thronged his ante-chamber, and
was compelled to hint, as delicately as might be, that he would
rather dispense with so much adulation. All eyes were fastened
on him with astonishment and admiration, in expectation of great
events to come.
, And these events had now ta^cen place !
The campaign began gloriously. Every day was marked with
some new success, and every officer who reported himself brought
flattering tidings. Involuntarily he compared with intense self-
reproach those gorgeously bedecked cavaliers, whose joy it was
to serve under the greatest of all commanders, and who had
unconditionally entrusted to him their lives and their honor, with
the ragged fugitives, scarcely human, who with downcast looks
were painfully dragging themselves along the roads lined with the
corpses of their friends. No campaign had begun so successfully.
Experienced officers had even at that time remarked with
alarm the great loss of men and horses that occurred from day to
day. It was conceivable that they should succumb in this fearful
retreat, but even in the advance, against an almost unresisting
enemy, they had been worn out by the rays of the burning sun.
and had fallen by thousands on the road from the combined effects
of bad water and poor and insufficient food. So great were their
losses that the full cadres of 2,800 men were reduced to 1,000
and even less. As to the other side both he and his most experi-
enced officers were discouraged at the exemplary order in which
the Russian army retired, under cover of the Cossacks, without
leaving behind any wounded, carts or guns.
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Napoleon was silent at that time, but he clearly recognized
the faults in the organization of his army and its commissariat.
The necessary system was lacking. The bridges and fords on
the road were soon destroyed, but no one repaired them, and
each corps d'armee forced its way through as it pleased, for the
staff did not trouble itself about such trifles. No one took note
of dangerous spots, of precipitous places. Stragglers were to be
seen endeavoring to find their regiments; the orderlies could not
carry out their orders, being continually stopped on the roads,
which had become almost impassible. From the very beginning,
discipline became dangerously lax, but success at that time cov-
ered a multitude of faults. Napoleon himself once burst out
laughing, instead of appearing annoyed, at the report that the
lately-appointed sub-prefect of Wilna had been plundered of his
effects by the soldiers, and appeared at his new post with nothing
on but his shirt. He was aware that the soldiers plundered and
ill-treated the inhabitants, but in the hour of triumph he troubled
himself little about this.
The Grande Artnee was at that time still in magnificent con-
dition and Napoleon well remembered the scene of his first entry
into that part of Russia through which he was now retreating —
a beautiful country, with a straight, broad road, planted with birch
trees, the weapons of the advancing army glittering in the sun-
light. He remembered his disappointment at the sight of the
Dnieper, that celebrated ancient river of the East, which proved
to be quite insignificant and not even picturesque. Then the
Battle of Smolensk, with a French loss of 6,000 killed and 12,000
wounded and the terrible conflagration in the city. He can still
see before him the burning town, with its streets full of wounded,
the Russians setting fire to their own dwellings, and retiring in
unbroken order, suggesting to him a possibilty that the fate of
Charles XII. may yet overtake him. He became aware that his
army was already losing confidence. Where were now the jokes,
the laughter ? Even the officers appeared to be nervous, and
did their duty impatiently. He called to mind how at Smolensk
he himself was anxious and undecided, deaf to the prayers and
entreaties of his most experienced advisers. Murat had fallen upon
his knees, Berthier wept. He had not been true to himself, his
theoretical plans were forgotten, he was urged forward by cir-
cumstances. How could it be otherwise? The Russian Calvary
had caught Sebastian unawares and defeated him, the army
could not be left with the impression of this misadventure.
The march was almost silent, one heard only the crack-
ling of the snow under the feet of the officers of the
suite and of the bodyguard, and, in the distance, the sub-
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dued rumble of the retreating army. Steam from men
and horses rose up in the still, windless atmosphere,
the cold became more intense, and the Emperor's thoughts
more and more gloomy. . .
Then he thought of the great battle before Moscow,
with its fearful sacrifice of 40,000 to 50,000 men, and
its indecisive result.
Was it not his own fault that this had been merely a great
battle and not a great victory? Was not it the fault of his illness
(dysuria) that the battle was not fought out? He had been
unable to mount a horse, and was compelled to view the battle-
field from a distance, the battlefield which looked like an ocean
of smoke, with the din of musket and cannon, with the shouts of
*' Hurrah ! " and " Vive I'Empereur ! "
These vexations and obtrusive thoughts excited the
Emperor to such an extent that he hastened onward and
began striking out with his stick.
Again the battle rises before his mind's eye, the Marshals
begging him for reinforcements to strike a decisive blow, and his
determination to bring up his last reserve, to lead his Guard in
person into the fight. This would break the last stand of the
Russians, who still held the positions into which they had been
driven, but which were becoming untenable. Soon the bloodiest
battle in history would end in victory, the army of the enemy
would be scattered, and Alexander be compelled to beg for peace.
But now Marshal Bessieres approaches him and whispers, " Do
not forget. Sire, that you are 800 miles from your base of opera-
tions."
The excitement of this recollection causes the Emperor
suddenly to stand still, his suite also came to an uprupt
halt, causing many comical scenes, collisions among the
Generals, cries and curses among the grooms of the suite
and private soldiers. Napoleon turns round, looks back,
and in so doing his eye falls involuntarily upon Marshal
Bessieres — then marches on again.
The deed was done; and the battle before Moscow is marked
down as the most sanguinary but least decisive battle in history.
As a matter of fact, Bessieres had been in the right. If, in this
terrible retreat, all the troops do not cast away their guns, if some
show of order is maintained, if the Guard still retains in a certain
degree the former spirit and discipline of the army, thanks are
due to him, for it is owing to him that at Moskowa the Guard
were spared, and that their ardour was not damped by the losses
70
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
to which the rest of the army was exposed. What would have
happened if this column of thousands of picked soldiers had
dwindled to some hundreds, without courage or energy, wholly
demoralized? Utter destruction would have been inevitable.
Horses are lost by the thousands, the Calvary marches on foot,
the guns are abandoned, the ditches on both sides of the road are
filled with men and horses. The Parthian Calvary were less bold
than the Cossacks, the burning plains of Bactria less deadly than
the snowfields of Russia, but the fate of both armies, Roman and
French, was in every way similar, both were destroyed. The
trophies of the victory before Moscow were thrown into the rivers,
together with part of the plundered treasure. All recognize that
safety lies only in flight. Generals and officers are on the same
footing as their soldiers — all are in rags, they have let their
beards grow, are filthy, black with smoke, and covered with
vermin. The army is but a hord of thieves and murderers, neither
life nor property is safe; what remains to be stolen is stolen;
comrades, as they fall, the weak, the sick, the dying, all are robbed.
The road resembles a battlefield, a cemetery; the villages along
the line of march are burned to the ground. . . .
It is incomprehensible how Napoleon could have remained so
long in Moscow. He alone is responsible for this disgrace. The
Eylau campaign had led him astray. After having experienced a
Polish winter, he thought he could gauge the severity of the cold
in Russia, but he deceived, cruelly deceived himself.
Darker and gloomier became his thoughts, ever more
precarious his condition. Around him crackles the frost !
France ! Paris ! How very distant they are !
31
Napoleon on the Heights of Borodino (Moscow)
H. 39^ in., W. 60 in.
The Emperor reconnoitered in person the Russian po-
sitions at Borodino, and examined the future field of
battle for a long time, from the steeple of the Monastery
of Kolotsky. A glance at the Russian lines sufficed to
show him that Kutusof f had committed an error by forti-
fying his right flank and neglecting his left. He noticed
71
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
that the river of Kolotcha turned suddenly to the right
and concluded that the banks must be very steep hills
— therefore, there was nothing to be done on that side.
On the contrary, the left bank of the river was visibly
lower and the Emperor at once formed his plans. The
viceroy was to make an attack on the large fortification,
make a demonstration in front of Borodino and the right
wing of Kutusoff, Poniatowski was to turn the extreme
left, while Ney and Davout were to seize the bastions of
Semenovskoi and, wheeling quickly to the left, drive
Kutosof f back, and hurl him and the remains of his army
into the Kolotcha. The plan was well conceived, but Gen-
eral Bagration's more than average skill and the extreme
tenacity of the Russian soldier rendered it of no avail.
Happily for the Russians, Napoleon refused to ap-
prove of the plan of Marshal Davout, who wished to
turn with 40,000 men by the old road to Moscow, the
enemy's position, spend the night in carrying redoubt
after redoubt by assault, demolish them all, and by seven
o'clock in the morning, crush, disperse or take the Rus-
sian forces by attacking from the rear. When we con-
sider the mistake of Kutusoff, who massed his principal
forces on the right, far from the march projected by
the Marshal, we may admit that the Russians would have
been completely conquered; but Napoleon did not accept
the plan made by his great tactician because it seemed
to him audacious, as he said — because of professional
jealousy, one might add. Altogether the Emperor in
attacking the Russians from the front gave to Kutusoff
time to see his mistake and to correct it even under the
fire of the enemy.
He saw his mistake, and during the battle, in the
midst of a terrible fire, managed to wheel his men from
right to left, where they gave Ney and Davout so much
trouble that these Marshals were unable to push suffi-
ciently far forward. Poniatowski, with his Polish regi-
ments, only managed to force Toutchkoff back slightly
from his position at Outitza, and thus Napoleon's cal-
culations fell.
72
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
The French army at Borodino numbered between
160,000 and 170,000 men.* It had occupied two days
before the redoubt of Schewardino, which, after having
changed hands several times during the day, finally re-
mained in the possession of the French.f
On the day following the capture of the redoubt no
battle took place. It seemed as if both sides had agreed
that everything should be decided to-morrow ; why, there-
fore, a useless skirmish? All the time preparations were
made, arms, ammunition and uniforms being carefully
examined.
On the French side there was profound silence, broken
occasionally by shouts of " Vive I'Empereur." The Guard
was filled with enthusiasm at the sight of the portrait of
the King of Rome, which, having arrived from Paris,
was exposed outside the Emperor's tent. A little more
excitement prevailed on the side of the Russians, where
all the army was under arms : the miraculous ikon of the
Holy Virgin of Smolensk, escorted by Kutusoff and all
his staff was carried between the ranks of the soldiers,
who knelt down, praying, weeping and preparing for
death.
" This will be a hard day," said Napoleon to one of
his immediate suite, " the battle will be terrible ! " On
the night preceding the general attack, he was seized with
fear less the Russian army should again evade him, tak-
ing advantage of the darkness. This fear disturbed his
sleep. He continually called to his attendants, inquiring
whether any noise was heard, and sending out scouts to
* As at the crossing of the Niemen the army numbered 400,-
000 men, what had then become of the 230,000 who were missing,
according to the statement in the XVIIIth Bulletin? Whence
also came the Russian regiments, which, according to those
Bulletins, were killed, wounded or wiped out during the previous
seventy days?
t It may here be stated that, after this success. Napoleon asked
why he did not see any prisoners. The answer he received must
have made him ponder over the gravity of the situation : " Sire,
they all died rather than surrender."
73
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
note whether the enemy still occupied the same position.
At last, at five o'clock, an officer sent by Ney requested
permission for the Marshal to begin the attack. And
then began the battle, the most sanguinary ever fought
since the invention of gunpowder.
Napoleon's point of observation was the best that could
have been chosen. The whole field of battle lay before
him. It was in front and slightly to the left of the
redoubt taken on the 5th, on the borders of a ravine.
A numerous suite attended him, motionless, full of
anxiety. The determination of both armies was so great
that but few prisoners were taken, the trophies also were
insignificant. There was nothing but fighting, fighting,
fighting. It is admitted that the losses on both sides
exceeded 100,000 men in killed and wounded. In view,
however, of the official statement that more than 56,000
bodies were buried on the field at Borodino,* it is prob-
able that nearly 150,000 men were placed hors du combat
in this single battle. According to his usual custom of
greatly exaggerating his successes. Napoleon announced
his victory as decisive, and stated that 50,000 Russians
had been killed or wounded, whilst he himself had lost
only 10,000 men. The truth is, according to the most
credible authorities, that the French losses were enor-
mous, more than 60,000 men having been either killed
or wounded, including forty-threee generals and an enor-
mous number of officers. Whole regiments were swept
away, and the cavalry completely destroyed, without any
important results being obtained. Although the enemy
was driven back, he took up a new position, where he
awaited the French until a late hour at night, and it was
only on the following day that he left in good order,
taking away his guns and baggage.
In order to turn this orderly retirement into a flight,
it would have been necessary to attack the Russian army
again and again, a course which Napoleon, terrified by
his immense losses, was unwilling to adopt. He was
* 32,000 horses.
74
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
implored to allow the Guard to advance, as a decisive
blow ; but he refused, remarking, impatiently, " If I
have to fight another battle under the walls of Moscow,
where shall I find the troops ? " The French army una-
ware, of course, that he was ill, commented severely
upon his resolution.
In his order for the day, the Emperor had declared
that he would remain on the redoubt of Schewardino,
taken the night before, but he passed the day on a hill
near by, a little to the left. From time to time he tried
to walk, but his illness would overcome him and force
him to resume his chair, there to rest in a fatigued con-
dition with much suffering.
" I recapitulated what I had already seen during the
day," says Baron Lejeune in his " Souvenirs of an Officer
of the Empire," and, comparing this battle with Wagram,
Eylau, and Friedland, I was very much astonished not
to have seen the Emperor, as in preceding years, display
that activity which commands success. On that day he
only mounted his horse to ride on to the field of battle.
Then he sat down below the Guard on a hillock where
he could see everything. Several cannon balls passed
over his head. When I returned from my gallops I
always found him in the same attitude, watching, through
a pocket glass, all the movements, and giving his orders
with an imperturbable calmness. But we had not had the
joy of seeing him, as on other occasions, electrify by his
presence the troops engaged at those points where a vig-
orous resistance rendered success doubtful. We were all
astonished not to find him the alert leader of Marengo,
Austerlitz, etc. We did not know that Napoleon was
suffering, and that his illness prevented him from taking
part in the great doings that were enacted under his very
eyes, and solely for his glory. Nothing could exceed
the courage displayed on that day by both sid^s. The
blood of 80,000 Russians and French was shed, either to
confirm or shake the power of Napoleon, and he watched
the sanguinary catastrophes of this terrible tragedy with
75
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
an appearance of composure." " Napoleon had dis-
mounted," relates the Marquis de Chambray, " Berthier
was near him. He wore the uniform of the Rifles of the
Guard. He remained from the beginning of the battle
in the same spot, or walking up and down with Berthier.
Behind him was the infantry of the Old Guard, in front,
and a little to the left, the other regiments of the Guard.
He was seen to remain apathetic during almost the entire
battle, in a spot too distant from the field to be able to
distinguish the operations with his own eyes, and whence
his orders came often too late. In moments of the great-
est importance he showed a marked want of resolution,
in a word, he was not on a level with his reputation, nor
did his usual luck attend him. I must, however, add
that he was suffering from a very heavy cold." De la
Fliise tells us that during the whole of the battle Napo-
leon did not appear on horseback, owing to illness. He
wore his grey overcoat, and spoke little. A group of
officers of his suite was to be seen just behind him. The
action could not be followed, owing to the dense smoke
from thousands of guns that covered the horizon.
" One saw him nearly all this day," says Segur, " seated
or walking slowly in front of and a little to the left of the
conquered redoubt on the borders of a ravine far from
the battle, which he had dimly seen since it passed beyond
the heights. He made only a few gestures in a resigned
manner, when from time to time they came to let him
know of the loss of his best generals. He got up several
times, took a few steps and reseated himself. All those
around him looked at him with astonishment. Up to this
time, under great shocks they had seen a calm activity,
but here it was a heavy calm or lassitude with no activity.
On that day his composure indicated lack of energy
rather than self-possession. He remained in the same
place, with an air of suffering and depression; his ap-
pearance was dejected, his look gloomy. He gave his
orders in a languid manner, in the midst of this horrible
din of war, which now seemed almost strange to him . . .
76
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
Murat remembered having seen the Emperor, reconnoi-
tering the enemy's Hnes on the previous day, stopping
several times, dismounting and leaning his head on a gun
in an attitude of great suffering. The king knew that in
this critical moment the power of Napoleon's genius was
chained down by a body worn out under the triple load of
fatigue, fever, and of that malady which, above all others,
breaks down the physical and moral strength of man ..."
Segur finishes his account of the events of this im-
portant day with the following remarks : " When he re-
turned to his tent he was the victim of great mental
suffering as well as physical depression. He had seen
the field of battle; the scene spoke in louder tones than
man. The victory so eagerly longed for, so dearly bought,
was incomplete. The losses were immense, and without
proportionate result. Every man around him mourned
the loss of some friend, relation, brother, for the lot of
war had fallen on those of most importance. Forty-three
Generals had been killed or wounded. What weeping
in Paris ! What a triumph for his enemies ! How dan-
gerous might be the effect of the news in Germany!
In his army, even in his tent, there is no sound of con-
gratulation on his victory. All is silence and gloom. He
was pleased to tell Europe that neither he nor his Guard
had been exposed . . . Murat was heard to say that on
that eventful day he had not recognized Napoleon's
genius. The Viceroy admitted that he could not under-
stand the cause of the want of decision shown by his
adopted father! And when Ney's turn came to give his
opinion, he showed a curious obstinacy in advising re-
treat..."
Those, however, who had not left his side alone saw
that the conqueror of so many nations had himself been
conquered by a burning fever, and above all by a return
of that painful malady which any violent movement, or
any strong or lasting emotion, was liable to provoke.
They quoted his own words : " In war, health is indis-
pensable, and nothing can replace it " ; and his prophetic
77
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
saying on the field of Austerlitz : " There is but one time
for war ; I shall be good for another six years, after that
even I must stop." He did not stop, and this was the
result.
32
An old Steward
H. iSy2 in., W. I2>^ in.
An old Steward, who is relating with great humor how
he succeeded in buying himself free from serfdom by
cheatinsf his master.
33
Jolly good Fellows: Russian Men's Costumes of the
XVII. Century
H. 24 in., W. 18 in.
34
The Road at Inkerman
H. 30 in,, W. 16. in.
On this rock was played the last act of the drama of
the battle of Inkerman. A part of the Russian army,
infantry as well as cavalry, hotly pursued by the allies,
in terrible disorder, were hurled down from this place.
A small chapel, erected at the foot of the rock, con-
tains the bones of those who fell.
35
In the Crimea
78
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
The Temple of Diana on the Cape, in the morning
— as it might have been 3,000 years ago
H. 17^ in., W. 23^ in.
37
The Monastery of St. George, late evening
H. 16 in., W. 29^ in.
About the year 60 A, D. the apostle Andrew, the first-
called (brother of the apostle Peter), came to preach in
Taurica, especially in the temple of the goddess Diana,
and it may be supposed that a cave church was made
here, serving as a foundation for the monastery of St.
George in the ninth century. St. Clement, the Pope of
Rome, sent by the emperor Trojan to forced labor in the
stone quarries of Inkerman, found as many as 2,000
Christians in these parts. When he was drowned for his
preaching, together with many other zealous followers
of the new religion, the spread of Christianity was de-
layed somewhat. However in the fourth century there
were already regularly appointed bishop-missionaries here,
of whom Basil was concealed in the cave church already
mentioned, before being tortured and delivered up to
death. The Russians, sailing here in boats, robbed and
killed not a few, and committed every kind of outrage,
till their famous invasion under the leadership of Vladi-
mir, ending in the taking of the Chersonese; the cave
church had become then the monastery of St. George,
having, in this manner, an existence of over 1,000 years.
38
In the Crimea
79
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
39
The Rock of St. George
H. 12^ in., W. 15^ in.
On which, according to tradition, a thousand years ago
St. George the Victorious appeared to the drowning Greek
sailors. After this miracle the monastery was founded.
40
In the Transvaal
To-day, to-morrow, as yesterday, . . . always the same !
41
Mount Kazbek, in the Caucasus
(16,500 ft.)
A tradition affirms that the Saviour of the world was
born on this mountain, and that His cradle is preserved
up to the present day in one of its gorges. Nevertheless
all that have tried to discover the sacred spot have been
struck with blindness. The last great avalanche of snow
on the Kazbek filled the valley of the river Terek with
snow, ice and stones to the height of 350 feet, for the
distance of eleven and one-half miles.
The classical traditions says that Prometheus was at-
tached to this rock.
42
Mount Elbrooss, in the Caucasus
(18,000 ft.)
The scene of many legends, the highest point in Europe,
wilder than Mt. Kazbek.
80
VERESTCHAGIN COLLECTION
43
The dry Channel of the River Jumna, India
A thick growth of reeds, frequented by wild boars,
panthers and tigers.
44
The Snows of the Himalayas
The highest group of mountains in this colossal chain,
raising its summits, covered with ice and snow, to the
height of 27,000 to 29,000 ft.
VaSSILI VERESTCHAGIN.
81
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